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SEINE VALLEY - NORMANDY The Magazine
Dreaming Rouen, Seine Valley, a study in light… Living On the roofs of Saint-Ouen Savouring Rouen’s MIN market Exploring Rouen, Seine Valley, 1944-2009: Remenbering heroes...
édition 2009 - 2010 5€ 1-REVER 2009 GB:Mise en page 1 04/06/09 16:35 Page1
SEINE VALLEY - NORMANDY The Magazine
VALLÉE DE SEINE - NORMANDIE Le Magazine
Rêver Rouen, vallée de Seine, enquête sur la lumière… Exister Sur les toits de Saint-Ouen Dévorer Il était une fois le MIN de Rouen Musarder Sur la route des héros… Contents édition 2009 - 2010 5€
Dreaming 4 Rouen, Seine Valley, a study in light… 16 Rouen, star of the screen 23 Picturesque Normandy 26 Rouen, a lasting impression Living 35 On the roofs of Saint-Ouen 40 When hair becomes art 43 Benedictine delicacies 48 Excellence and exceptional dexterity 55 French in Normandy Savouring 57 A happy chef 60 La Bouille comes to the boil! 64 The fete du Ventre is ten years old 67 Rouen’s MIN market 69 Wholesale with a smile! 70 Bread, pastries, love and chocolate 72 Rooms with a country view 83 Lunch across the city... Exploring 88 Let’s take a walk in the woods… 94 Rouen, Seine Valley, 1944-2009: Remembering heroes 98 Rouen in short trousers 102 Alice’s adventures in the Rouen wonderland 107 Agenda
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Foreword
“The most magnificent landscape a painter could dream of.” The words are those of Camille Pissarro. The landscape is that of Rouen, and its surrounding area, “with the Seine flowing smooth as glass, and the sundrenched hills”. On several occasions, during visits in 1883 and 1896, Pissarro painted Rouen and its countryside, “on the spot”. The Rouen region was a source of inspiration for the great Impressionist painters, their forerunners and successors. Turner, Sisley, Monet, Gauguin… all of them were captivated by the light of the Seine Valley, and their most beautiful works were devoted to it. But the light to be found here, exceptional though it certainly is, was not the only condition for the birth of this movement, among the most important in the history of art. The capital of our territory has always been a place of great artistic, intellectual and scientific life. Was it not in Rouen that philosophers Alain and Simone de Beauvoir chose to teach? Is it not the homeland of Fontenelle, Corneille, Flaubert and Marcel Duchamp? All the prerequisite conditions - natural, urban, geographic and historic - which enabled so many talents to blossom, are still with us today, alive and well and constantly changing… It is this liveliness, this cultural ferment, which we will be reviving with the ‘Impressionist Normandy’ festival between June and September 2010. I hope that reading this magazine will give you a glimpse into the extraordinary wealth of the 45 communes which now make up our Community. These pages will lead you through our forests, along the Seine, and introduce you to the special features of our locality. You will learn about the men and women who continue to work every day to make the Rouen regional community one of the finest territories in Europe.
With very best wishes, Laurent FABIUS President of the Rouen Agglomeration Community Former Prime Minister Deputy for Seine-Maritime
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Dreaming
] “A friend of mine went to Rouen […] and saw marvels of which one has no idea.” Marcel Proust, In Search of Lost Time, Time Regained, 1927.
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SEINE VALLEY - NORMANDY Rouen, In which we learn that the father of margarine Seine Valley, formulated a law of optics; that this law enabled the land of a study butter to solve the mystery of its light; and how it came to be that the said light brought in light… about the immense fame of Rouen and the Seine Valley.
argarine! What is this vegetable fat ral as well as the meteorological sense, had suddenly product doing here in Normandy the invaded the art world. “The subject is insignificant to Mregion that has the finest butter that me. What I want to paint is what lies between me and cows can make? Nothing much, other than the the subject,” Claude Monet would declare in front fact that its distant inventor was also behind a of Rouen Cathedral. discovery which transformed our perception of Like a painter exploring his subject, these pages colours. A low of optics in other words, which, from the Tourist Office of Rouen Seine Valley will formulated in 1839, would go on to take you on a journey into the world of colour. revolutionise the relationship between painters and their palettes. This law was devised by > Eugène Chevreul, a French chemist also known Chevreul’s law for his research into animal fats. But the work of The principle formulated by Chevreul is this gifted scientist was also decisive for the simple. His work demonstrates that an object history of art and for the reputation of the does not have its own specific colour, since this Normandy region right around the world… in depends instead on the objects around it. In an altogether different field.a margarine ! which case everything is a matter of At that time, in the first half of the nineteenth cen- perception. The scientist explained that the tury, Chevreul was greatly interested in Newton’s eye tends to fill in the “missing” colour in work on the decomposition of white light, based on order to form a neutral balance in our brain. This is a well known principle: if you want to which he formulated a “law of the simultaneous bring out a blue, place a touch of orange contrast of colours and of the combination of coloured beside it! objects”, and with which he brought to light, quite To see this in practice, one might project a literally, our perception of colours. This famous law shadow onto a white background. Then, by of simultaneous colour contrast was to be put to tinting the light source using filters of different full use by the Impressionist painters, in particular colours, you can see that the shadow changes when they undertook to portray the ever-changing, colour too. This is in fact an optical illusion, of fleeting colours of Rouen and the Seine Valley. course, since a shadow is an absence of light, This scientific discovery transformed the history of and therefore has no colour. Another principal painting. From that point onwards, artists would devised by Chevreul: it is the eye which no longer seek to freeze eternity, but instead to cap- “blends” the colours found in nature… A spot ture the passing moment, the complex and fragile of yellow juxtaposed with a touch of blue will blaze of light which conditions personal impres- form a nice green colour on the retina of the sions. Painters would no longer strive to represent observer. This is the principle still used today objects as they were, but their perception of them. in the printing industry. The notion of the present moment, in the epheme-
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Rouen, Seine Valley, a study in light… Vanilla, cream, ivory, milky white, opaline, platinum blond… Light colours dominate the landscape of the Rouen region. Subtly enhanced by fiery, strong and harsher pigments, these delicate colours breathe a virginal whisper across the whole area … If the Rouen region were a precious metal, it would be silver. Its grey shades, deep and capricious, are like a storm merging into a troubled sea in the height of summer. Its nuances of tone embrace a spectrum running from the smoothest whites to the solar dazzle Greyof languid days. is beautiful
Photo M. Markowicz Concrete
Concrete suffers from a bad reputation. But take a walk along the banks of the Seine between Bonsecours and Canteleu and you will see how this modern material pays contemporary homage to the delicate nuances of the Rouen Cobblestones are the valley. The towers of Pont perfect mirror for the Gustave Flaubert, the tallest town, reflecting the lift bridge in Europe, the Tour thousand and one des Archives [photo], the grain nuances of the light. silos at the port, are all fine With one of the examples of the wealth of largest pedestrian tones which lend subtle colour networks of any urban to the riverside by night. area in France, Normandy’s capital remains a well- trodden path for those Cobblestones who love to stroll through the streets.
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The stone used for the old buildings of the Rouen area varies in colour from brilliant white to smooth cream, with a few darker touches. Easily recognisable are the stones from the quarries of Caumont (underground quarries located Stone by the edge of the Seine, near La Bouille) [photo] which are distinguished by the deep grey flint embedded in them.
Photo J. Tanguy Le Manoir de Marbeuf, Grey Iron
Architecture The capital of Normandy is an iron lady… Sitting like a high-tech Metallic colours predominate here. Thanks spaceship on the southern edge to Ferdinand Marrou, whose notable of town, Le Zénith was designs, constructed in the late nineteenth designed by the architect and early twentieth century, include the Bernard Tschumi, also known steeples of Rouen’s Notre-Dame Cathedral, for the Parc de la Villette in the bell-tower of Saint-Romain Church, Paris. Its metallic grey tones and the decorative roofing spikes on the enhance the vanilla and orange Gros Horloge, the Rouen region lends the Roofs Roofs skies of late afternoon… sombre brilliance of metal the shape and appearance of plumes of smoke. Also noteworthy is Le Secq des Tournelles Depending on the changing Museum, located in the former church of skies and the tides at play on the Saint-Laurent (fifteenth and sixteenth Seine, the slate roofs of Rouen centuries) which houses a unique collection are seen to turn from midnight of ironwork, bringing together architectural blue to electric grey. The roof of items, signs, locks, knockers, tools, Jeanne-d’Arc Church, designed jewellery, clothing and costume accessories. by Louis Arretche in 1979, The metallic Eauplet bridge [photo], also evokes both a fluent aspect and known as the “bridge of the English” the flames of the bonfire which projects its silver frame over the river’s claimed Saint Joan. seagoing port.
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Rouen, Seine valley, a study in light… Macarons
If Rouen had to be a culinary item, the Normandy capital would be a macaroon. In addition to a few confectioners with a divine gift for the production of these exquisitely soft little cakes, the town basks in the most delicious colours… Almond greens, orangey reds, rosy pinks, gold, chestnut, coral: the range of delicate tones here can be found in every nook and cranny of the streets. After the refined elegance of all those greys, these appetising colours send the eye dreaming in fairy-tale fashion. With its memorial to Saint Joan of Arc, the town of Bonsecours offers an exceptional panoramic view over the Seine valley. Chlorophyll greens dominate, filling the nostrils with the scent of the forest. But the range of emeralds extends beyond the bottle greens of the tree-covered massifs. All around, there are meadows, gardens and lawns, even under the thunderous wheels of the metro tram. Further away, the golf courses and fruit-rich orchards of Jumièges find an echo in the vert-de-gris roofs of the cathedral and in the walnut-stained rivers as they flow in from afar.
Photo N.Novak-Fotolia
Pistachio Macarons,
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Like a chromatic counterpoint, the greens accentuate the pinkish reds of the quay paths along the banks of the Seine. At sunset, the sky fills with dozens of colours and hues, again dominated by orangey reds and hints of vanilla. Occasionally, groups of ducks can be seen flying overhead against the reddening sky, reminding us that the gastronomic speciality of Normandy’s capital is canard au sang (duck cooked in a wine and blood enriched sauce).
Snow white
From apple blossom, to the sails Raspberry of the ships at the Armada festival, to the immaculate hulls of the pleasure boats sailing up the Seine to the quays of Rouen, whites are associated here with the gentle delights of pleasure cruises. Further out of town, gourmet whites are to be found in the generous rind of Neufchâtel, a regional speciality and one of France’s oldest cheeses. The half-timbered houses are a reminder that in Rouen the forest is never far away.
Photo N.Novak-Fotolia Although many are dressed in Havana
Macarons, browns, some of the ancient houses also sport more whimsical tones, such as apple green, purple or sky blue. And wood colours are not only to be seen in Rouen’s architecture. We might also think of the wood of the orchestra at the opera, or the Chocolatechocolate shades of the many gourmet shops, or, tastier still, the tawny colours of local game and mushrooms, or those of horses, or the silky coats of Normandy Macaronscows…
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Rouen, Seine valley, a study in light… Horizons horizons The Rouen region is one of the few provincial towns to have its own metro. Its metallic blue trains are instantly recognisable to all local travellers. Of the three primary colours, blue remains the most important for the Normandy capital. Forget-me-nots, lilac, sea-blues, Railway sapphire, azure, cornflower and cerulean: the chromatic variants of blue to be found here are known above all thanks to the blue famous Rouen faience (glazed earthenware). But if the Rouen area was to be one thing, it would surely be a horizon, an azure perspective, open to the world at large, to the oceans and rivers, so much does the range of blues to be seen in the Rouen region sum up the spirit of adventure which reigns in this maritime city.
Blue was the easiest colour to fire in a kiln. Cobalt oxide, the strongest of the colouring oxides, resists very well against the 900 degrees centigrade required to fire ceramic objects. Delft, Nevers, Sèvres, Savone, Marseilles and China all have their own kind of “blue”. And Rouen is no exception; its blue can stand proudly beside that of the most celebrated earthenware. Bleu de Rouen
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At night in Rouen, the bridges, banks, silos, cranes and cliffs Blooming blue overlooking the river are equipped with projectors or lines of blue In June, the countryside light… This primary colour, with its around Rouen provides an powerful, electric feel delineates the exceptionally delightful nocturnal identity of Normandy’s spectacle, as the flax comes capital. into bloom and its flowers cover the landscape with their subtle blue. Linen from the Caux area, renowned across the world for its quality, is mainly used to make luxury clothes, as well as being used to produce some of the paper on which American dollars are printed… Normandy today represents 60% of all French land on which linen is grown (84% of this being in Upper Normandy).
P. Normand - Fotolia
With examples dating back as early as the thirteenth century, the Rouen area is one of the world’s holy grails in terms of stained-glass windows. Were Rouen’s stained-glass windows to be laid end to end, they would make up a larger area than those of any other town in France. Blue dominates much of this holy glasswork, due to the cobalt oxide which, as with earthenware, has long been the natural colouring easiest to fire. The cathedral ranks behind Metz alone for the total surface area and beauty of its stained- glass windows. Bleu
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West Seine A THIRD TOWN CENTRE IS NOW remarkable constructions which are OPEN IN ROUEN. part of the industrial dockside The architectural whole, combining heritage. The first is the former contemporary constructions with the “Agrivin” warehouse, designed by preservation of port heritage, blends Eiffel in 1902, with its superb metallic harmoniously with the colours of the structure, produced by the studios of west Rouen landscape. The orange- the architect of the famous Parisian tinted glass cages (backlit at night) of tower. The second building dates from the central building, function as a the 1950s and was used as a customs kind of beacon for this western warehouse. Its design, in pre-stressed entrance to the town. concrete, is one of the few examples of In the vicinity of Pont Gustave this type of port architecture, and Flaubert, the Docks 76 shopping offers a fine silhouette of beige and Stores in Docks 76. centre is located on formerly disused bluish tones. The third construction is Fashion: Gentleman Farmer; Lacoste; land around the port, close to the a contemporary creation, produced by Armand Thiery; Deeluxe; Jules; Celio; future Omnisport park. Three the architect and designer Jean-Michel Mango; Promod; H&M; Esprit; buildings cover the 36,000 m2 of the Wilmotte, also behind the restoration Chattawak; Somewhere; Copcopine; commercial complex. Perfectly of the site itself. The shopping centre MIM; Sinequanone; Princess Tam Tam; Subway; Le Temps des Cerises; Guess; integrated into its edge-of-town is organised around four types of New Look; Luna; Camaïeu; Phildar. landscape by the banks of the Seine, stores: an “everyday essentials” section Children: Petit Bateau; IKKS Junior; bordering the port, Docks 76 has which allows regular customers to Okaidi-Obaidi; Toys’R’Us. enabled the restoration of two satisfy their recurring needs; a Household: Alice Delice; Little Extra; “trendy” section devoted to Rêves d’intérieur; Heytens; Résonances. fashion, cuisine and culture; a Beauty: Franck Provost; Shampoo; restaurant and cinema Sephora; Ulric de Varens; Marionnaud. section; and finally a section Food: Monoprix; Nicolas. containing stores dedicated to Shoes: Eden Shoes; Sprint; kangnai; beauty, well-being and Nikita K. interior decoration. Accessories: Six; Le Tanneur; Marc Lebihan; Swaroski; Didier Guérin; Piery; Claire’s; Grand Optical. Restaurants : Sushi & Roll; Zumo; El Rancho; Le Comptoir (brasserie); crêperie; Paul; Jeff de Bruges. Leisure: cinéma Pathé (14 salles); Virgin Mégastore; Album; Micromania. Services : Société générale; Bouygues Télécom; France Télécom Orange; SFR; C. Minutes; kiosque presse.
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Rouen, Seine valley, a study in light…
Around these parts, an alchemist would have had no problem realising his dream of transforming metal into gold… Every season sees a new miracle. In springtime, the bees - and our eyes too - feast on the mellow delights of the golden pollen offered by the fruit trees; in summer, wheat covers the fields Old of the Rouen countryside in dazzling blonde; in W autumn, the local ciders sparkle with fire in glasses raised amongst friends; and finally, in winter, on the roof of the archbishop’s palace, the gold leaf on the statue of the virgin gleams in the rays of the icy Goldsun…
GROS-HORLOGE Golden Apples
The emblematic monument of As a cider-producing region, Rouen and its surrounding area is an Normandy guards its apple crop exceptional legacy of the Normandy jealously. The fruits are lovingly Renaissance. The original mechanism pressed to provide a refreshing, of the ancient town clock, known as sparkling drink, a joy to the the ‘Gros Horloge’, ran between throat. Alternatively, the golden 1389 and 1928, after which it was flesh is secretly transformed into successively replaced by an electric, apple sugar, the sweet speciality then electronic, mechanism. This of the Rouen region. senior citizen of timepieces still leads an active life, and has thus clocked up more than four million hours. The golden inlays of its dial were 14 recently refurbished. 1-REVER 2009 GB:Mise en page 1 04/06/09 16:36 Page15
The white and gold colours of the Rouen Hockey Elite are famous worldwide. The “Dragons” play in the French Magnus league. Since its White and GOLDfoundation in 1982, the white and gold hockey team has been one of the most successful squads in the French league, with nine trophies in its 26 years of existence. This outstanding club has supplied a significant quantity of international players to the French team. The Dragons can be seen at the Île Lacroix ice rink (2,747 seats, total capacity 3,500).
Rouen is Europe’s leading cereal port, an activity which stretches down the Seine between Rouen and Honfleur over a distance of some 120 kilometres. It begins upstream from Guillaume-le- Conquérant bridge and runs along the left bank of the river, taking in Grand- Quevilly, Petit-Couronne and Grand- Couronne, and on the right bank Saint-Wandrille, Port-Jérôme and Honfleur. Ships from all around the world come to the Norman capital to Golden leaves fill their holds with wheat … Sip on a beer in Venezuela and the chances are There are some 9,050 hectares of that it has been brewed with grain forest, or almost a third of the brought from Rouen! surface area of the Rouen area. From the end of September, the capital of Normandy dons a golden crown, when the foliage of its tree-covered mountainsides are ablaze with the ochre hues of autumn … Gold 15 1-REVER 2009 GB:Mise en page 1 04/06/09 16:36 Page16
Rouen star of the screen
“French cinema is a vehicle for France’s image survey, say that their “wish to abroad and represents a real means of visit France” was a result of encouraging people to come and visit France.” watching “French films in their These were the findings of a survey carried out own country”. If we also by the French public opinion research agency consider that a new French film is released every day somewhere IFOP on behalf of the French film export in the world, it is easy to see that association (ADEF), in December 2004. As well the cinema represents a as its excellent location among the major tourist powerful driving force for areas of France, Rouen and the Seine valley attracting tourists to France. also owe their success in this field to Camera! Action! Normandy’s image as portrayed on the big Rouen and the surrounding region screen… enjoys a strong reputation worldwide. With figures such as Joan of Arc, Madame Bovary and France is the world’s leading Claude Monet, the capital of tourist destination, with over 80 Normandy has a place in the million visitors per year. Even if collective imagination of much of this figure includes some 14 the world’s population. From China million tourists stopping off en to the hinterlands of Patagonia, route to other places, the from Cape Town to Helsinki, there country annually attracts more are few people who haven’t heard of visitors (whose principal the Maid of Orleans who was burnt destination is France) than its at the stake in the Place du Vieux total number of residents… And Marché on May 30, 1431… More 80 % of these tourists, again recently, Flaubert’s heroine and
Extrait de l’exposition “100 ans l’Office Tourisme Rouen” Photo Paris Normandie according to IFOP’s 2004 Monet’s cathedral paintings have >
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been ambassadors for Rouen, well known all around the world. All three, Joan of Arc, Emma Bovary and the Cathedral, are also film stars in their own right. Film crews still travel great distances to shoot scenes in front of Rouen Cathedral (see box). “Rouen is a great film backdrop,” explains Richard Turco, Rouen city council’s deputy director in charge of tourist development and former director of the Upper Normandy public relations office. “Rouen and its surrounding area offer genuine diversity, and truly rich architectural variety. We have urban atmospheres here which are very different from « We still need to develop our each other and truly unique.” And far from being simply a collection of “old stones”, the Normandy capital, notes cpacity to host film crews. » Richard Turco, is a “living, changing city”. Thus a scene from Jean-François Richet’s “Mesrine: Public Enemy No. 1” was shot here between June 9 and July 6, 2007, with Vincent Cassel in the lead role. “We still need to develop our cpacity to host film crews. We’re working on this so that we can continue to welcome major shoots like the Mesrine scene, or indeed like Agnès Jaoui’s film, “The Taste of Others”, filmed here in its entirety in 1999,” says Richard Tu rc o. “The financial consequences of a film shoot are highly significant, not just in terms of the economic activity generated by the days of shooting, but also, and more importantly in my view, thanks to the impact that a film can have by attracting tourists to the area.” Even just for their direct economic consequences, film shoots bring in a million euros per year to the Rouen region.
A region made for the cinema… Despite its unexploited potential, Normandy’s capital city nonetheless remains the leading location for film shoots after the French giants of the Paris, Lyon and Marseille regions.
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And it is easy to see why the Rouen area offers great cine- matographic possibilities. “It is one of the few provincial cities to have a metro,” explains Richard Turco. “We also have an important industrial heritage, and yet Rouen has easy access to the countryside… In short, Rouen is made for the cinema.” This is further confirmed by the profusion of talent from the local area. With actors such as Philippe Torreton, Bruno Putzulu, Olivier Saladin (from Les Deschiens), Maxime Leroux and Franck Dubosc, and actresses such as Anny Duperey, Karine Viard, Virginie Lemoine and
Extrait de l’exposition “100 ans l’Office Tourisme Rouen” Photo Paris Normandie Valérie Lemercier, the Rouen region has produced star after star… thanks in particular to its Conservatoire and the Audiovisual course offered at Corneille high school. And on the other side of the camera too, the city has not done badly. The director Jacques Rivette spent the first twenty years of his life in the heart of the city of Joan of Arc (who inspired two of his films, released in 1994, « living, changing city » with Sandrine Bonnaire in the lead role: “Les Batailles” and “Les Prisons”). Claude Duty, director of “Hypnotized and Hysterical” (“Filles perdues, cheveux gras”) (2002), starring Romain Duris, Marina Foïs, Charles Berling, Sergi Lopez and Léa Drucker, lives and works in Rouen.
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John Sell Codman, La Fontaine de la Crosse, Rouen - Londres, British museum Crédit photo : Catherine Lancien, Carole Loisel et Morgan Cavecin 22 1-REVER 2009 GB:Mise en page 1 04/06/09 16:36 Page23
SEINE VALLEY - NORMANDY
Picturesque Normandy The museums of Rouen, Le Havre and Caen are jointly and simultaneously organising three separate exhibitions between 16 May and 16 August 2009, around the theme of “Picturesque Normandy”. As part of this initiative, the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Rouen is presenting a beautiful exhibition highlighting famous sites of old Normandy, as portrayed and depicted by the great Romantic painters.
n 1798, the German poet Middle Ages can be seen as a Romantic masters on display at the and novelist Novalis set out reaction to the ideas, deemed Musée des Beaux-Arts in Rouen? I the Romantic programme: overly rational and restrictive, of Preparing the ground for “The world must be romanticised. the “classical” arts and sciences Normandy to be the home of Thus shall its original meaning be inherited from the Renaissance. Impressionism a few decades later, rediscovered. [...] When I give However, since the Renaissance Jean Honoré Fragonard, Eustache- common things a higher meaning, had emerged from the ruins of the Hyacinthe Langlois, John Sell give everyday things a mysterious air Middle Ages, portraying the latter Cotman and Joseph Mallord or give something well-known the as a period of unelightenement or William Turner greatly contributed dignity of the unknown, the finite an dark ages, the opponents of the to the image of the province of air, a reflection, a glimmer of the Renaissance were keen to Normandy. Preceding, or even infinite, thus do I romanticise rehabilitate the Middle Ages’ inventing, the concept of “motif” them.” It was also during this damaged reputation … which would later be so dear to the period, and with the same ideas in Rich in Gothic monuments, Impressionist painters, the mind, that Normandy constructed Normandy therefore quickly Romantic masters, always great its own “image”. Far from became a place of great interest and travellers and explorers of Romantic Germany it may have modernity in the eyes of the landscapes able to arouse the been, but Normandy’s location upholders of Romanticism. Not to imagination and exalt the “ego”, right between Paris and London, mention the fact that at this point established the idea of the combined with its particularly in the first half of the nineteenth “picturesque” through their active elite, enabled it to forge, century, global “tourism” was pictorial choices. Normandy’s little by little, a new identity. beginning to take off in the picturesque sites, having remained Learned provincials, scholars, and region… perfectly preserved, were suddenly English antique dealers mulled seen as the incarnation of an over Normandy’s past and The picturesque genre. extremely modern idea: that of the identified a “school of the Middle Through their studies of truth of the “ego”. Ages”. This fascination held by the Normandy’s most beautiful sites, Initially a literal translation from Romantic movement for the what did they seek to depict, these the Italian “alla pittoresco” >
John Sell Codman, La Fontaine de la Crosse, Rouen - Londres, British museum Crédit photo : Catherine Lancien, Carole Loisel et Morgan Cavecin 23 1-REVER 2009 GB:Mise en page 1 04/06/09 16:36 Page24
Normandie pittoresque
(meaning “in the painted style”), the adjective slowly but surely evolved towards the notion of countryside or travel able to “retain the attention through its original character”… With the systematic quest for an emotion both “striking” and “unique” which the painter looks for in subjects deemed as picturesque. The picturesque concept then became overexposed and lost its Romantic value. As “picturesque voyages” turned into exotic excursions, and as tourism, previously the exclusive preserve of a young, aristocratic elite, began to be more widely available, the adjective became increasingly associated with pejorative ideas of inauthentic folklore and tastelessness… The “Picturesque Normandy” exhibitions not only rehabilitate that word, but also demonstrate that Normandy has long been a subject of fascination for the great artists.
Also to be seen in Le Havre and Caen… The Musée Malraux in Le Havre is organising, during the same period of May 16 to August 16, Johannes Bosboom, Quai de Paris à Rouen - Huile sur Toile Amsterdam, Rijskmuseum Crédit photo : Catherine Lancien, Carole Loisel et Morgan Cavecin 2009, an exhibition on the theme of “Monumental and Picturesque Normandy”. As an extension of the Rouen exhibition, the Musée Malraux will exhibit a series of heliogravures published by Le Havre art publisher A. G. Lemâle between 1892 and 1899. Thanks to this printing process, which brings out the finest details, Lemâle was able to offer a vision of remnants of the past untouched by the great upheavals of history. In Caen, the Musée des Beaux-Arts expands this reflection on the notion of the picturesque by transposing it to current artistic concerns. The museum is thus presenting a range of works produced by artists renewing the tradition of photographic representations of Normandy.
The Gallery of the Rouen Fine Arts Museum
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Rouen, a lasting impression From June to September 2010, the Rouen region will once again buzz with one of the most important movements in the history of art. Rouen and its light, its natural setting, as well as its industrial, historical and cultural heritage played a considerable – if not principal – role in the birth and growth of this pictorial movement. This dedicated festival will now take place in the very place of its conception…
Turner, Monet, Gauguin, Pissarro, Sisley… A long list of Impressionist geniuses were fascinated by the Rouen region, sometimes to the point of obsession. Their works are among The cradle of Impressionism. the best known and most loved in the world, “In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the Rouen and they certainly remain some of the most region was an avant-garde place both economically and famous, most studied and discussed artists on artistically…,” says Jacques-Sylvain Klein, curator of the the planet. These canvasses are filled with an “Impressionist Normandy” festival, due to be launched insouciance, a lightness and joie de vivre in Rouen between June and September 2010. “Thanks which have won them widespread popularity; to its proximity to the United Kingdom and to Paris, as their “studies” of light, their profound well as its highly active elites, Rouen was able to attract the examination of our perception of colours, of first tourists and, more importantly, the greatest artists of our comprehension of reality, have attracted the Romantic era. Normandy and England rediscovered attention and commentary from academics, their shared Medieval past.” Indeed, British painters such
philosophers and scientists. In short, one as Richard Parkes Bonington or Joseph Mallord William Crédit photo : Catherine Lancien, MBA Rouen could be forgiven for thinking that there was Turner were soon attracted by the landscapes of Rouen nothing new to say about Impressionism. and wider Normandy. Their “visions”, set out in works Nothing, perhaps, apart from a crucial of astonishing atmospheric quality, left a deep and las- question: how and why did Normandy, and ting effect. Their investigations into the notion of Rouen in particular, bring about this “motif”, their interaction with their subject, were remar- movement. To date, no major show has kably modern for an era in which artists only seldom left enabled these major works to be brought the confines of their studios, and one which radically together in this their very birthplace, the city altered the contemporary perception of landscape and of Rouen and the region which inspired nature. them…
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Crédit photo : Catherine Lancien, MBA Rouen
27 1-REVER 2009 GB:Mise en page 1 04/06/09 16:37 Page28 Rouen, a lasting impression Jacques-Sylvain Klein, author of an excellent and superbly documented book on Impressionism, Normandy, Cradle of Impressionism (published by Ouest- France, 2007), supports the theory that the Rouen region played a determining role in the appearance of this artistic movement. “While English and Parisian artists often travelled to Normandy,” he explains, “there was also a young French school travelling in the opposite direction. Painters from Rouen and from Normandy went to Paris and London to spread their new ideas about painting.” According to Jacques-Sylvain, the Impressionism which was born in Normandy is an extension of the “school of nature” embodied by the likes of Corot, or the realist movement of artists such as Courbet and Millet. “As a child, Corot attended a boarding school in Rouen between 1807 and 1811; he returned to Normandy in the early years of his apprenticeship; and then again in 1829 and 1833. Those years were a time of real revolution. Artists were emerging from the peasantry and the working classes. Jean-François Millet was a Normandy peasant who brought to Paris a new approach to landscape. “Two other things helped Normandy and Rouen to become the cradle of Impressionism,” concludes Jacques-Sylvain Klein. “These were the invention of paint in tubes – because until then painters made their paints themselves, « because until then painters which meant they had to stay in the studio – and the made their paints themselves, development of the railway. These two inventions did much to favour the arrival of a new approach to painting.” “On which meant they had to stay the spot” painting was born… And the best “spots” were in the studio » in Normandy.
The cradle of modern art. For the first “Impressionist Normandy” festival, the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Rouen will of course play a central role. Already the proud owner of the most important provincial collection of Impressionist works, Rouen museum will in 2010 gather together, from across the world, a hundred or so paintings and drawings by the great masters of this movement. Laurent Salomé,
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Crédit photo : Catherine Lancien, Carole Loisel
the director of Rouen’s municipal museums, offers a foretaste: “We will be bringing together the greatest works of Monet, Gauguin and Pissarro, as well as those of their predecessors and successors. The exhibition will provide an understanding of the decisive role played by Rouen and its surrounding countryside in the birth of this movement, highlighting the link which exists between the geographical setting and the artistic works, showing and explaining what made Rouen the ideal location for Impressionism.” Yet the light, the proximity of fields and of the Seine, the growth of industry and the lively activity at the port do not alone explain the dawning of this movement in this particular place, this privileged spot where Rouen and its surrounding area are located. “Rouen, which has always been an incredibly modern town, was, in the nineteenth century, an avant-garde city. It was a bohemian, literary place, where artists rubbed shoulders with the upper echelons of society who were open and responsive to innovation. At that time, there was also a real mania for painting in Rouen.” This mania for painting led notably to the birth of “serial works” in painting. Monet and Pissarro were its pioneers, with, respectively, their series devoted to the cathedral and to the Seine. “After Impressionism established painting in proximity to the subject, this new way of working paradoxically became a major step towards the disappearance of the subject. The painted subject certainly remains identifiable – the cathedral and the Seine are easily recognisable, for example – but it seems to dissolve into the atmospheric study which now seems to capture the attention and energy of the artist.” Not only were the Rouen region and Normandy the cradle of the Impressionist movement, but by giving rise to this movement Normandy’s capital thus became the original centre of modern art… And it was another Rouen native who would become the father and emblematic figure of this medium: Marcel Duchamp.
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Rouen, a lasting impression
Laurent Fabius, President of the Rouen Agglomeration Community, is the man behind the “Impressionist Normandy” international festival, the first event is scheduled to take place in the Rouen area between June 4 and September 26, 2010, in conjunction with the happened here, thanks to the Regional Councils of Upper and Lower Normandy and the light, and thanks to the local Agglomeration of Caen. Pierre Bergé, President of the Normandy landscapes. So I’m hoping for cultural enrichment, for economic Impressionism association, is in charge of the festival’s organisation. development, for an influx of Jérôme Clément, director of Arte, is acting as technical consultant. tourists, and for a morale boost for the people of Normandy.
Is this festival intended to become a lasting feature and to be repeated at It is you who have initiated whole. Also, a reminder of regular intervals like the the festival, what are you something everyone should know Armada*? hoping to get from the and understand: Normandy, and LF : Let’s focus first on making event in 2010? in particular Rouen, is the the 2010 event a success. With its Laurent Fabius: I hope it will be a birthplace of Impressionism, the scale, this festival is a bit like the great success. A further boost for greatest artistic movement of the Armada of Impressionism. It may our city and for Normandy as a nineteenth century. And it all perhaps be repeated every four years. That’s why we chose to call it a festival. Impressionism is so huge, so beautiful and so diverse that it could be the subject of an infinite number of events… particularly in pictorial terms. Because the 2010 event is already looking beyond Monet. So, if you consider Gauguin, Pissarro, Boudin, Jongkind, Turner, Bonington and those who came after them, it’s easy to imagine an abundance of future events. *The next Armada festival, one of the largest meetings of the largest sailing ships in the world, will take place in Rouen in 2012.
Can such a festival be seen as modern? LF : The originality of the Impressionists was not in the subjects they painted. Their originality, and what makes them so incredibly modern, lies in the fact that the object painted is of little importance. What counts is the way of seeing, the light. Contrary to popular belief, it is
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not the haystacks, the cathedral, in Upper Normandy, well of tourism is a key aspect of the forest interiors, the Seine, course it’s Rouen, if you’re in development for Normandy. We which are important to the artist. Lower Normandy, it’s Caen, and if are lucky to have a naturally Because with Impressionism, we you’re somewhere between the magnificent region, with an move from art focussing on two, you say to yourself, why not extraordinary heritage, unrivalled objects to art focussing on ways of somewhere else? I would say culture, modern infrastructure, seeing, through the use of light… without any ill will that the recent and excellent living standards. This is the very definition of Balladur report settles the Tourism is therefore absolutely modern art. Impressionism was a question, as it recommends that essential to our strategy for break with the past. To put it Rouen should be developed into a economic development. simply, traditional painting was a metropolis… In my opinion, the Normandy is already a major painting of ultra-resemblance. In city with the strongest claim is European and global tourist the most contemporary painting, Rouen. As far as our festival is destination, and should be even the subject has been lost concerned, the Lower Normandy more so in the future. completely. Impression effected region and Caen are of course this transition: one first has the both deeply involvied and are * The next edition of Armada, one of the most important sailing ships gathering in impression that the subject is working alongside us to make it a the world, will take place in 2013 in what matters, but in fact it is the resounding success. Rouen. way of seeing which is being emphasised. There is nothing Does this festival mean that more resolutely contemporary the tourist industry should than what is conveyed by this be considered as one of pictorial movement. the key aspects of economic and cultural Is this intended to development in Normandy? emphasise Rouen’s claim to LF : Certainly. There is no doubt be the future capital of a about that. For a long time, the reunified Normandy? economy and tourism were LF : The important thing for me is treated entirely separately, which to detemine what is the best was frankly rather shortsighted. solution for Normandy, it has to Tourism is one of the driving be strong and for its residents to forces of our regional economy. be able to resist the current This is all the more important economic crisis. So, on the because it cannot be relocated. question of the capital, what is You can’t go and visit Normandy happening at the moment is a bit anywhere else but in Normandy. like at a football match. If you’re So yes, without any doubt,
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Living
“One remains from Rouen all one’s life, even when one is no longer in Rouen.” Maurice Leblanc, author of the Arsène Lupin series. 2-EXISTER 2009 GB:Mise en page 1 04/06/09 16:33 Page2
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Its majestic proportions mean it is often mistaken for the cathedral… But Saint-Ouen abbey, which was once among the most powerful Benedictine monasteries in Normandy, and whose foundations date back to the sixth century, is just as worthy of a visit. Or even a climb. On the roofs of Saint-Ouen
his morning, the sky is a clear, bright blue; here and there a few rare clouds, rich and A monument of light. T woolly, float dreamily six thousand metres There is a cool air in the abbey, but the light here is above the dark blue roofs. The fine city of Rouen wonderful. Thirty-three metres up, the under-vaults stretches lazily, anticipating another fine day. The defy the laws of gravity; like a squadron of intrepid avia- mercury moves up to no more than ten degrees, tors, the sun’s rays pierce through the three levels of sky- the air is as dry and fresh as flame from old oak. lights. Illuminating the fourteenth and fifteenth cen- Spring is still remote, but the sturdy plain trees in tury stained-glass windows, they greet here and there a the grounds of the town hall are precociously in patriarch, a prophet, a sibyl, then veering to the south, bud… Henry Decaëns, smiling and warmly proudly illuminate a saint, a prelate or an apostle. dressed, arrives at our meeting point, the Portail Galvanised by this spectacle, a nervous pigeon wings its des Marmousets. Yet there is no sign here of a way along the nave. Its flapping wings break the silence white-sideburned marmoset to explain the name of of the church… “The abbey was built more than 750 the southern entrance to this ancient abbey, nor of any of King Charles VI’s counsellors … But never years ago,” Henry Decaëns tells us, “on the site of a mind all that: our experienced guide has the keys Merovingian basilica where the bishop Saint Ouen to the upper reaches of Saint-Ouen. This Gothic (Audoin in English) was buried in 684.” The pigeon is edifice, which reaches a height of 82 metres, is now at rest, and only our footsteps trouble the magnifi- about to reveal its secrets… cent silence of Saint-Ouen. Henry Decaëns continues: “The Vikings pillaged the basilica in the ninth century, and a Roman church was then erected in the ducal period. Part of the choir collapsed in the early fourteenth century, and in 1318 work finally began on the construction of the current building.” Our guide, with humour and a great knack for storytelling, explains the surprising promotio- nal campaign undertaken along with construction of the abbey. “Pilgrims were sort of like the tourists of their day,” jokes Henry Decaëns. “In the fourteenth century, the monks energetically promoted the abbey, in order to attract pilgrims on their way to Mont-Saint-Michel, and even those heading for Santiago de Compostela.” >
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“Pilgrims were sort of like the tourists of their day,”
Promotional images. began to crow and the hen to cluck. The magistrate was “Do you know the legend of the hanged man who was amazed, and had the young man taken down and the guilty brought down again alive?” asks Henry, pointing to a girl hanged in his place. For this reason, since the choir window depicting a young man hanging on the fourteenth century, a hen house has been kept in the gallows. “In 1130, Hugonel, a young Germanic pilgrim en cathedral in the Spanish village of Santo Domingo de la route with his parents to Santiago de Compostela, spent the Calzada, and along the Santiago de Compostela night in an inn at Santo Domingo de la Calzada. A young pilgrimage route, stained glass windows warn pilgrims servant girl made advances towards him, which he rejected. about the dangers of unscrupulous innkeepers’ Enraged and vindictive, the brazen young woman hid a daughters… By contrast, the idea in the case of Saint- silver vessel in Hugonel’s luggage. Just as he was about to Ouen abbey was to extol the irreproachable virtues of leave, she accused him of theft. Hugonel was found guilty Normandy innkeepers and the respectability of their and hanged.” Back in those dark days, young ladies didn’t daughters. mess about, I thought to myself as I stared up at the “The venture met with mixed success: pilgrims did not window. “The tearful parents,” continues Henry, “went flood in en masse, but the abbey was very rich nonethe- on with their pilgrimage. On their return from Santiago de less. The choir was completed in just 21 years, between Compostela, they heard their son talking to them from the 1318 and 1339, a very short time for such a job. The gallows. Saint James had protected him and prevented him transept took longer to finish, however, because of the dying when hanged. Astonished, they rushed to see the local Hundred Years War, and it was only completed in the Magistrate. He was about to dine on roast cock and hen, middle of the fifteenth century. As for the nave, it was and joked: 'Your son has as much chance of being alive as built in two phases and finally finished in 1549. It is a this cock and hen have of singing on my plate.' The cock masterpiece of Rayonnant architecture.” Upon which, Henry Decaëns takes a large key from his jacket and opens a heavy, narrow wooden door…
All aboard! Vertigo is an internal disorder which can affect anyone. Believe me, I flinch at nothing. In my labours as a journalist, I have heroically churned out a whole ream of reports, and never - ever - have I flinched. So it was that without concern that I set off up the stone steps of the spiral staircase flanking the southern side of the transept. Alas, when I reached the top of the staircase and Henry showed me the way outside (I was distinctly aware, as I emerged into the open air, that I was visiting a part of Rouen previously unknown to me), my legs began to tremble like jelly. It is no easy task to describe the scene which greeted me. There in front of me was the entire Rouen area, stretching towards the horizon. Like a ship at anchor in a sea of slate, the abbey looked down over the rough and choppy roofs of the city. My knees were knocking now, as Henry Decaëns, like an admiral pacing the bridge in the midst of a storm (in this case the vertigo which had also set my teeth chattering), continued to make his way along the cornices, walkways and all manner of narrow passages overhanging the void and the intricate stonework, which was certainly magnificent, but was also dozens of metres below. We made a complete tour of the
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abbey, from the outside, at rooftop level. The artisans who constructed this monument produced work of a power and delicacy unimaginable from terra firma. Up here, many dozen metres from the ground, the stonecutters and carpenters spent hours perfecting the fine detail of areas which would only be visible to the few visitors authorised to explore these heights… Next, we arrived at the western portal of the abbey. This part was only completed in the nineteenth century, overseen by Prosper Mérimée, at the time inspector general of historical monuments. Henry Decaëns quotes Viollet- Le-Duc’s caustic reaction to the work carried out at that time: “This is the least appealing pastiche ever based on Gothic architecture.” Beginning in 1852, the reconstruction of the Saint-Ouen portal was the first major building work funded by the new Historic Monuments Commission. The challenge was to provide a perfect example of what restoration of a historic monument could achieve. Important remains of the original medieval facade were destroyed. The incomplete slanting towers were considered not as the work of a brilliant architect of the Flamboyant era, which they undoubtedly were, but as a monstrosity out of which an unfinished masterpiece was to be produced… We then arrived in a little room at the top of one of the towers. There, in the dark Oise stone used in its construction, several pieces of graffiti can clearly be seen. “J. Buckley, 6th Australian Artillery, Melbourne, 11 Oct 1918.” G’day, Mr. Artilleryman! Exactly one month before the Armistice, you too climbed Saint-Ouen! “In 1918, they had just dismantled all the abbey’s stained glass windows,” Henry Decaëns tells us, “for fear of German bombings. An irony of history meant that by the time they were finally assembled again, they had to be taken back down immediately – it was 1939…” Who knows, perhaps this graffiti by our antipodean artilleryman served as a lucky charm, protecting the building from the air raids of 1940 to 1944! The Saint-Ouen organ In 1890, the great organmaker Aristide Cavaillé- Coll completed his final masterpiece in Saint-Ouen abbey. In order to tame what he called the “great empty chasm” presented by the imposing volume of the abbey, he equipped it with powerful bellows. This great sixteen footer, with its 64 stops and 32 pedals, was described by the composer Widor as the Michelangelo of organs, and it inspired him to write his Gothic Symphony. The Great Organ is also the most recorded instrument in the world. It is not unusual, should you happen to be passing the abbey at night, to hear notes rising majestically from the instrument’s array of pipes…
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When hair becomes art
Member of the exclusive Intercoiffure Mondial association, chaired in France by Alain Zinzius, Rouen native Xavier Tourmente is a veritable artist with scissors and dye. People come from Paris, Caen, Lille and Amiens for the privilege of having him attend to them…
avier Tourmente is a young and stylish man. In a single minute, he can make forty perfect cuts with X his scissors. Indeed, at the age of 39, his “scissor cut” is known as one of the hottest styles in international hairdressing. Intercoiffure Mondial made an excellent choice in designating him as one of 37 stylists in all of France worthy of international recognition by his peers. “Coiffure should meet the standards of couture,” proclaims the association for which the benchmark of excellence remains “the most demanding coiffure, combining talent and technique, originality and fashion”. But to achieve this high level of artistic expertise, the boy from Rouen had to climb the ladder rung by rung. His parents had their own hairdressing salon in Le Havre, which certainly helped, but there is a major difference between a provincial family salon and the ruthless world of ‘haute coiffure’… “Something clicked with me at the world hairdressing championships, when I was twelve years old. I had gone there with my parents. I was blown away by the whole spectacle, by the incredible atmosphere of this other world. But above all I was truly impressed by the skill involved.” Xavier went on to be ‘bridal chignon’ champion of France, and opened his first salon, in Oissel, on the left bank outside Rouen. Then, in 1995, turning down lucrative offers to move to the capital, Xavier chose to set up shop in Rouen, on Rue aux Ours. “I love Rouen. I’m very attached to it; it’s such a friendly town, a lively town.” >
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pleasure of styling the hair of actresses and comediennes such Anne Roumanoff and Sophie Mounicot, Alice Hotellier, lead violinist at Rouen Opera, and I styled a theatre troupe The art of the chignon. at a party organised by Pierre Berger in Prunier.” Glamour “The simpler a chignon looks, the harder it is to do.” The is all part of the job, certainly, but Xavier has kept his pure and elegant lines of a chignon can take up to twelve feet on the ground. “We don’t make our living from the hours of work. “A woman is prepared to devote this length stars. What I’m really interested in is cutting 'real' people’s of time for the major events in her life. Her wedding, for hair. That’s why we keep our prices affordable, unlike example. Otherwise the average chignon takes around four certain big Parisian salons where the prices are deliberately hours.” The result is something approaching a work of designed to put people off.” art. Emmanuel Niaux, Xavier’s business partner, runs a photo studio with the sole purpose of capturing the Salon Xavier Tourmente, creations of the maestro of the scissors. “Xavier cuts hair 42 rue aux Ours, Rouen (00 33 2 35 08 34 34). in a theatrical manner, and it’s incredibly impressive to watch him at work,” he says. Flicking through the artist’s portfolio, it becomes clear that the art of the chignon and of hairdressing in general is not dissimilar to the paintings of the Dutch and Italian Renaissance masters. And this is doubtless what attracts so many celebrities to pay a visit to Xavier Tourmente… “I have had the 2-EXISTER 2009 GB:Mise en page 1 04/06/09 16:33 Page10
SEINE VALLEY - NORMANDY Benedictine delicacies Magdala: a name, a taste… a community. Enclosed in an environment devoted to prayer, the Benedictines of Rouen’s Immaculate Conception monastery, founded in 1677, play a part in the outside world. Since 1936, the crafting of delicious shortbread biscuits has been part of their daily ritual.
hey are the fruit of a life’s work. A life devoted to spirituality and the worship of T God. Delicious and subtly enhanced with a blend of spices, the famous traditional shortbread of the Benedictines (using pure Normandy butter) fills the air of the Magdala biscuit factory with its delightful aroma. This is a timeless place, a biscuit factory built in the heart of the monastery, where the sacrament of good taste is celebrated every day. A closely guarded secret. Access could not be easier. From Rue Bourg-l’Abbé, we Despite all this activity, the work is carried out in a pass through the convent courtyard, in the direction of cathedral-like silence. Only the occasional whirr of the the kitchen garden, and the Magdala biscuit factory is new pressing machine, as it stamps and cuts the biscuit right there. Then we make our way through the boxes dough, disrupts the otherwise perfect tranquillity. As of eggs and the bags of flour stamped with the name of Benedictines of the Blessed Sacrament, the nuns give a Normandy miller. From the doors of the workshop, their lives over to devotion. “And for us, every moment at all times of the day, the warm aromas of almond powder, of biscuits fresh from the oven, greet the nose. of the day, even while working, can be time devoted to The smell of hazelnuts, lemon zest and chocolate silent prayer,” whispers Sister Marie-Véronique Vauprès excites the senses. who, for the duration of the visit, slips into the role of Wearing a crucifix around her neck, a chasuble and a guide. sky-blue headscarf, Sister Marie-Gertrude conducts Working in time to the rhythm of the machinery, the the ballet with a wave of her small hands. Around the nuns of this enclosed order sort the biscuits, trim the aluminium worktops, the sisters knead and roll out the edges of the galettes, then arrange them on the baking shortbread dough, yellow as wheat. trays. The galettes must be perfect: after all they come with a “monastic guarantee”. Forty-five trays contain twelve pieces of shortbread each, and the fan-shaped biscuits are browned for ten minutes at 180 degrees. >
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A little pinch of prayer. Here, everything is homemade, without artificial colourings or preservatives. The cakes and biscuits are even packed by hand. Though this is hardly surprising. Faithful to the great tradition of gastronomic products produced in monasteries, the Benedictine nuns of Rouen favour quality ingredients. Their recipe for success? The use of local Normandy “All this is sprinkled with a produce. Butter, eggs, sugar, wheat flour, natural flavours generous pinch of prayer, and ingredients. “All this is sprinkled with a generous pinch of prayer, guaranteed free of artificial colours and guaranteed free of artificial preservatives! That’s what gives it the unique taste,” explains colours and preservatives! That’s Sister Marie-Véronique Vauprès. Over by the kneading machine, a statue of the Virgin what gives it the unique taste,” Mary watches over the grain. More than a tradition, the production of shortbread galettes, almond biscuits and chocolate creams is nothing short of a ceremony, the secrets of which remain closely guarded. Every day, starting at 5.30 am, the sisters gently and tirelessly repeat the same time-honoured movements. Making up the dough, then working it slowly in the four electric mixers used in the factory. There is always plenty to do be done. While output is modest, orders for biscuits flood in from all over France. Then at 6.15 am, as they do every morning, they leave Magdala and return to their chapel for Matins. Eight duties of prayer follow one another in the course of the day, ending with the celebration of Complin at 8.30 pm. Under Saint Benedict’s rules, monastery life is structured around regular prayer and work. “Pray and work! But prayer comes first!” smiles Sister Marie-Véronique, one of the convent’s longest-serving members. “That’s our slogan! We are nuns belonging to the enclosed Benedictine >
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order of the Blessed Sacrament - women who have devoted their lives to the service of God, cradled in his love as revealed through Christ.”
A wide range of biscuits. The Benedictine Monastery of the Blessed Sacrament was founded in Rouen in 1677, on Rue Morand, in the former Hôtel de Mathan, by Mother Catherine Mectilde de Bar, less than 25 years after she set up this new branch of the Benedictine order. Chased out of their original monastery by the Revolution, in 1802 the Benedictines took a convent built by the Minimes in the seventeenth century. But it was only in 1936 that the Benedictines of Rouen, to provide for the subsistence of their monastery (until then their output had been limited to chasubles and liturgical ornaments), began to make and sell cakes and biscuits. In the beginning, the nuns only produced gingerbread and madeleines. The brand name could not be more perfect: Magdala, a reference to the soft and sweet little gateaux created in the nineteenth century by the cook Madeleine Paulmier and immortalised by Proust, and more importantly a tribute to a famous character from the Gospels dear to the Benedictine sisters: “Pray and work! a certain Mary Magdalene, from the village of Magdala near Jerusalem, said to have witnessed Christ’s But prayer comes first!” resurrection. Although the abbey’s biscuit plant was modernised two years ago, the Benedictine sisters have had to abandon production of the famous raised dough biscuits. Making Magdala shortbread now accounts for most of the commercial activity of the thirteen sisters… but not all of it. In the monastery shop, there are also raisin galettes, meringues, orange shortbread, chocolate cakes, and much more. A wide choice of little cakes and biscuits, packed in bags and boxes, with a range of tastes which never cease to delight.
Monastère des Bénédictines, 14 rue Bourg-l’Abbé, Rouen.
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Excellence and exceptional dexterity
Browsing, rummaging, searching, Rues Saint-Romain, Damiette, Martainville, Eau- ferreting. For over five centuries de-Robec, Malpalu and Place Barthélemy have Rouen has been, and remains, a around thirty antique shops, and there are about fifty across the city as a whole. Some of the most hotspot for artistic craftsmanship. renowned names have been in business for close to Traders from Paris, America, Canada a century, such as Boisnard, a Rouen antique shop and Japan have long travelled here dating back to 1910, based at the corner of Saint- to find that perfect item, the jewel in Maclou church square and Rue de la République, and its neighbour Métais, specialising in Rouen their collection. And Normandy’s faiences or pottery, which has been trading in Place capital enjoys a great reputation Barthélemy since 1925 and has passed from father thanks to its “antiquarian quarter”: to son for four generations, or the Planage store, Saint-Maclou, the second largest which has graced Rue Damiette since 1926. It antiquarian village in France… clearly takes more than just the odd lucky find. hen a piece has seen better days, these W antiquarians are able to turn to an elite body of artistic craftsmen, capable of restoring antiques as well as creating modern works destined for galleries, public or religious buildings, or private homes. And nothing would be possible without this army of skilled artisans: expert restorers, able to repair cathedral windows, old Rouen faience pieces, specialists in cabinetmaking, gilding, bookbinding. Exceptionally dexterous workers. Artistic masters with a mission: passing on a priceless heritage, while continually renewing and reinventing their techniques. Portraits of five renowned Rouen craftsmen…
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Ludovic Lecompte and François Charles
The current trend is no longer for a uniform look. Ludovic Lecompte, cabinetmaker, artistic craftsman, and François Charles, ornamenter and antiquarian, decided to combine their talents. Their credo? Second-hand chic! More than an attitude, this is a way of thinking, a concept which combines second-hand furniture, interior decoration, tradition and modernity. The art of giving objects from the past a new role in the present. A delicate exercise. “Today, collectors who buy from us want to live in mixed interiors!” declares François Charles. In their gallery on Place du Lieutenant-Aubert, these two craftsmen and dealers undertake to breathe new life into old articles. To blend styles and eras in a light-hearted and distinctive manner, and to decorate contemporary homes with unique objects full of history. The idea occurred to them when contemporary furniture began to swing towards excessively commercial tastes. “Nowadays, it’s easy to buy beautiful old furniture. It’s more difficult to buy a contemporary piece, which would be too expensive.” The role of an antique dealer, the art of discovering hidden pearls, is something this young forty-something fell for at an early age. “I made my first purchase when I was eleven.” An ornamenter by trade, François Charles devotes his talents to patina work, and to the restoration of gold leaf. “But it’s not a question of ‘polishing up’ an old item! The aim is to conserve it ‘as is’.“ The various methods he employs, and the successive stages involved, are all done using traditional techniques. Pride in his work and respect for the original article are the guiding philosophies. As for Ludovic Lecompte, after training as a cabinetmaker, he plied his trade in the prestigious Parisian district of Faubourg Saint-Antoine, before meeting his new business partner. His early work included the restoration of an Elysée Palace chair for François Mitterrand, of which he remains understandably proud. In their studio on Rue Géricault, they work in higgledy- piggledy fashion on superb restored objects, fine woods from a variety of old furniture, dried over a long period, lovingly sanded, carved, patinised, waxed, varnished, and regilded. “Our creations are practical, but also have the status of works of art which fit in with highly contemporary interior design!” remarks Ludovic Lecompte. And the range of genres which they master is almost infinite, as a visit to their gallery will show.
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Excellence and exceptional dexterity Patrick Forfait, painter and artistic glassmaker
He has worked on more than 1,000 buildings and almost 200 monuments in Normandy. In fact, every church and abbey in the Seine Valley bears his imprint. Patrick Forfait, a master stained-glass window painter, has helped renew Normandy’s most prestigious windows. For the French historic monuments office, he also created 100 m2 of contemporary stained-glass windows for the cloister gallery, converted into a sacristy at Rouen cathedral. He was also behind the renovation of the seventeenth-century windows in the Lantern Tower of Saint-Maclou church, and maintains those of Saint-Ouen abbey on an ongoing basis. A long and impressive list. Even as a young boy, Patrick Forfait used to cut out his drawings. So it was a small and natural step when he began to apply his passion to glass at the age of fifteen. Having risen to the rank of master glassmaker, Patrick Forfait is not just a craftsman. He is also a contemporary artist, passionate about combining iron and glass and about the abstract and figurative possibilities offered by the four elements: fire, earth, air and water. As an artist, part of the Tachist school, he skilfully adapts his mastery of glass to the graphic requirements of his work. He regularly exhibits his glass panels, his monumental spherical triptychs and his totems in homage to Ndebele art across France. Some samples of his work are even on their way to a major exhibition… in Tokyo. Today, at the age of 61, he continues to pass on his talent and expertise to the apprentice craftsmen he trains in his studio in Les Essarts.
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Patrick Loutrel, binding artist
Morocco leather, shagreen, marbled paper, headbands, paperknives: all these terms plunge us into the world of bookbinding. Patrick Loutrel’s shop, on Place du Lieutenant-Aubert, has all the requisites of a traditional bookbinding workshop. In his workshop, piled high with books in the course of being bound as well as finished volumes, the delightful smells of old paper and leather mingle together amid the clatter of the printing press and the clipping sound of the enormous iron scissors. Patrick Loutrel is what is known as a great pair of hands. A tailor of books, bringing together tradition and modernity. A graduate of Lisieux vocational collage, this binder and gilder has taken his place among the greats, winning custom from booksellers, art dealers and major collectors who have for many years been entrusting him with their most precious tomes. Manuscripts and first editions by Ronsard, Montaigne, Bossuet, Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Flaubert, Proust, Queneau and Céline have all been restored or rebound by Patrick Loutrel, before returning to private collections or the window displays of the Hôtel Drouot.
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Excellence and exceptional dexterity
Augy-Carpentier Faiencerie
French faiencerie (glazed earthenware) owes much to Rouen and to the influence of its style, forged in the workshops of Masseot Abaquesne in the sixteenth century. In the Augy-Carpentier studios, the passion for this craft crosses the generations. Based in Rue Saint-Romain, Alain, “Jo”, his wife and their son Julien have been working tirelessly for the last thirteen years to restore its rightful reputation to Rouen faience. Together, they produce original creative works, old reproductions, as well as personalised pieces, highly decorative and hand-painted. Subtle and detailed work. But the faience maker also devotes his talents to interior decor and design. A faience mantelpiece, personalised tiling, nothing is too great a challenge for this apprentice of the famous Nevers studios, now back in the capital of Normandy. In his workshop, perched over his revolving wheel, Alain Augy repeats gestures which have been made for five centuries. The rabbit’s tail still sweeps through the enamel powder, the sable paintbrush delicately arranges iron oxide colours over his sketchwork. As well as trays and plates in the “Old Rouen” style, he excels in creative work. Indeed, he can turn his hand to anything, as demonstrated by the reproduction of a sixteenth-century faience writing desk exhibited at the Musée de la Céramique. Works which illustrate style in practice, and which themselves cross the centuries.
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SEINE VALLEY - NORMANDY French in Normandy
French in Normandy, set up by Eleri and Tom Maitland, is the current holder of the prestigious award given each year to the top French language teaching centre. This recognition positions the Rouen area as an international benchmark destination for foreigners wishing to learn the language of Corneille. And Normandy owes this success to some of Shakespeare’s fellow countrymen…
he centre run by the Jack, but when it comes to sport, they around thirty different nationalities. Maitlands has already been battle it out against each other in People tell them that Normandy is an T distinguished by the Quality rival colours, according to whether authentic destination, a place where Label issued by the French they are Welsh, Scottish, English or you can find the real France, and government, but now it holds the Irish. They are island-dwelling people where you won’t hear English spoken on title of “Star French Language School”. who drive on the left and use “yards”, every street corner, like in Nice or in This honour acknowledges the “feet” and “inches” to measure Paris. Here in Normandy, you will get excellent standards to be found at distances, they pay for goods with a taste of how the French really live.” this French school for foreign guests. “pounds”, but their political system So the couple naturally accompany The trophy was awarded in is inherited from a continental their French language teaching offer September 2008 by the international European… the famous William the with, among other things, cooking trade publication Language Travel Conqueror, who was a native of classes. “We have the good fortune to Magazine, which had to choose Normandy. Perhaps this is why the find ourselves in the home of four great between five prestigious finalists in British love Normandy so much. cheeses: Camembert, Livarot, Pont- France and Switzerland. Language “We first came to France twenty years l’Évêque and Neufchâtel. We introduce Travel Magazine is the periodical of ago,” explains Eleri. “As things turned them to genuine French cuisine, made reference across the world for out, we lived for a while in the North with authentic local produce.” professionals in the language tourism of France. Then we came and settled in Without a doubt, for these honorary industry. Every year, agents from Rouen. This place has everything: it’s natives of Normandy, “Rouen is the dozens of countries across five close to the sea, it has amazing local capital of Normandy… Between Joan continents are invited to nominate produce… The Rouen region offers a of Arc and the Impressionist heritage, the best language centres in their superb quality of life, it’s a city of art, this city is known all around the world category (by geographical area and by history and culture.” and remains a major point of reference language taught). in French history and in art.” In Lovers of Normandy. addition to its teaching activities, The best teachers of the French When Eleri and Tom speak of their which have won the centre Language language are to be found in a adopted home, they do so with Travel Magazine’s prestigious award, school run by … the British! genuine pride. Which is not always French in Normandy is certainly also Eleri is Welsh through and through. the case with natives of Normandy, a major asset for promotion of the Make no mistake about that, for who, in keeping with their Normandy region around the Welsh is not English. Definitely not. reputation as ‘taciturn’, often prefer world… Nor did she marry an Englishman; not to flaunt the great assets and she married Tom, “half-Irish, half- qualities of their locality. But in Eleri Scottish”. That’s how it is with the and Tom Maitland the Rouen region British, it seems. Their kingdom is has found the best possible united, their flag is called the Union ambassadors. “We host students from
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Savouring “Rouen is extremely affluent thanks to its number of townsfolk and to its trade, most pleasant thanks to its port, to the murmur of its streams, to the charm of its meadows, and to its wealth of fruits, of fishes, of all things.” Ordéric Vital, Historia ecclesiastica, 1140.
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SEINE VALLEY - NORMANDY
A happy chef
For the last twenty-seven years, behind the elegant shopfront of his restaurant, Marc Andrieu has been offering cuisine inspired by the finest local produce and seafood. In the dining room, a dozen tables are under the enchanting spell of their hostess, Gisèle Andrieu, beaming with genuine kindness. Great times are enjoyed under Marc Andrieu’s “little umbrellas”!
arc Andrieu is much like his establishment: a away from the norm and take inspiration from further sober and discreet façade, which opens up to afield,” asserts Marc, whose pan-fried fillet of sea bass M reveal a warm and friendly intimacy. And when and fennel fondue set off by a citrus sauce, or his roast the conversation turns to authentic ingredients or cod in a coconut pesto purée - firmly reminiscent of satisfied customers, his eyes light up, his speech becomes southern climes - are guaranteed to hit the spot. Local animated. No doubt the same glimmer was to be found produce and sunshine: a culinary match made in in the eyes of the young boy with a great love of heaven! restaurant food, tasted on Sunday outings with his Les Petits parapluies parents. Since then, Marc Andrieu has ploughed his 46, rue Bourg L’Abbé - Place de la Rougemare - own furrow, guided by a passion for delicious local Rouen produce. Initially trained in pastry-making (he is a huge 00 33 2 35 88 55 26 fan of chocolate and of Pierre Hermé!) and after six Open from Tuesday lunchtime to Friday evening, Saturday evening and Sunday lunchtime. years in Paris (with Michel Rostang among others) and a spell in Nice (at Le Négresco), the homesick chef returned to Rouen in 1982 (“This is where I feel at home!” he declares with pride) where he bought the renowned restaurant “Les Petits Parapluies”. This was a real challenge for the Andrieus. “I was a little scared to begin with,” admits Gisèle, “but I told myself that if we were true to ourselves, it would all work out!” The gamble paid off, because for more than a quarter of a century this establishment, nestling just off the charming tree- lined square of Place de la Rougemare, next to the Town Hall, has been welcoming lovers of good food to its refined and friendly setting. On the menu, an abundance of fine local produce, seafood and meat dishes, with a drift in recent years towards more exotic flavours. “I love local produce, but I also want to break
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A passion for sharing Marc Andrieu admits to at least two passions: satisfying his customers and sharing his expertise. “It’s a great pleasure to cook for people who are genuinely interested in food!” says the chef who for three years now has chaired the dynamic Club des Toques in Rouen, and gives culinary workshops for women (Cookines) and for men (Cookings) in rotation with four other chefs. This club regroups fifteen restaurateurs who share a common goal: To democratise cooking through a multitude of “It’s a great pleasure to cook different initiatives and with two watchwords: for people who are genuinely Exchange and Solidarity. “We discuss the evolution of gastronomy, and we make dishes for events such interested in food!” as the Fête du Ventre, the Telethon, or the brilliant Christmas charity meal organised last year in the Town Hall. That was a wonderful occasion,” recalls the chef, who is equally enthusiastic about his cooking classes: “It creates a real bond,” he notes with satisfaction. As the icing on the cake, teaching has allowed this shy character to realise that he is able to express himself for three hours without difficulty. True passion can work miracles!
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La Bouille comes to the boil!
For three and a half years, Le Saint-Pierre has been surfing the crest of a gastronomic wave, thanks to the creative vitality of its young chef Laurent Blanchard. A beautiful dining room with a panoramic view of the Seine, concern for fine produce, authentic flavours given an expert twist, and Patricia Blanchard’s smile: four great reasons to get on board immediately.
“I’m living my dream here every day!” declares the chef, whose expressions retain the enthusiasm of his childhood. This food lover met his perfect «match in Le Saint-Pierre, a restaurant which had had a ports, with a childhood spent in Brittany and the great reputation in the 1980s and ’90s, and which he Basque Country. His attentive grandparents sent him as bought after no more than half an hour’s reflection in a trainee to the Grand Hôtel in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, 2005, so right did it seem. Since then, the restaurant has where he had the opportunity to rub shoulders with made great progress sitting proudly on the banks of the members of the Ducasse team, and was awestruck by the Seine, like a ship with a good wind behind it, giving experience. “The atmosphere, the sudden rushes… it was Laurent Blanchard free rein at the helm to guide his ves- there that I understood all the work required to make a sel in his chosen direction: that of providing pleasure to great dish,” remembers the chef. Then Ecole Ferandi, a his customers, of carefully choosing his suppliers, all of year at Matignon, and the defining moment at Le Relais them local, and of selecting the finest produce. d’Auteuil in Paris where the future master chef, Bruno Before all this, the chef’s voyage took in a number of Locatteli, taught him how to combine flavours. Then another decisive step, in Nantes, where he learned all the secrets of good fish at L’Atlantide. And of course, mee- ting his wife Patricia in 1993, who has accompanied him ever since in his tireless search for excellence. “Even during the night, I’m always thinking!” he admits. He is a chef who loves to deconstruct, to break down classic dishes and reconstruct them to bring dazzling tastes and astounding textures, such as his unmissable Houssaye duck foie gras gateau with walnut wine, or his oursinade of red mullet and parsley jus with cauliflower cream, which explodes in the mouth with all the great flavours of the sea. No need for Saint Peter’s keys to enter this particular heaven; just open the door!
Le Saint-Pierre 4 Place du Bateau 76530 La Bouille Tel.: 00 33 2 35 68 02 01 Open for lunch and evening meals, Wednesday to Sunday. 2060 3-DEVORER 2009 GB:Mise en page 1 04/06/09 16:31 Page6
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Painting a portrait of Le Saint-Pierre Your first task is to select a table with a view of the bend in the Seine. As they all have - it can be difficult! Then hope for a bewitching mist. Don’t be discouraged. Wait patiently. Next, contemplate the fascinating and time-honoured ballet of the ferryboat, an iron grasshopper in red and white, endlessly running back and forth between the banks of Sahurs and La Bouille. Now turn your ear towards the enchanting, imploring call of the foghorn. Then let yourself bask in the atmosphere of the dining room. Then observe. Five women and three men! Le Saint-Pierre gives women pride of place - in the kitchen, above all. Fabienne Loerch has been second in command to Laurent Blanchard since the opening of the restaurant. “Women are amazing,” insists the chef. “A different palate, a gentler, more patient way of managing things.” “Greater complicity, an all-round Agreed. Let’s move into the dining room. Head better welcome.” waitress Nathalie Tramblin has also been assisting Patricia Blanchard since the beginning: “Greater complicity, an all-round better welcome.” Agreed again. Finally, sit back and enjoy a pan-fried langoustine, beetroot and bulbous chervil in an emulsion of coconut milk and basil. If the langoustine sings, it's a good sign. A sign that you’ll be back….
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The Fete du ventre is ten years old
he pride of the association Hear ye, hear ye, good gourmets and happy Rouen Conquérant and of its revellers! Normandy’s gastronomic Fête du T new chairman, Jean-Paul Ventre (literally, the festival of the Stomach) will Maurice, is a joy to behold. “Apart from the Armada, the Fête du Ventre is be celebrating its tenth year on Saturday the biggest event organised in Rouen by October 17 and Sunday 18, in the streets of volunteers,” declares the chairman, Rouen’s Vieux-Marché district. Let your taste who has been part of the association buds go wild, let your belly rejoice! On the for four years. 2008 was indeed a programme this year, even more exhibitors, great year, with 140 exhibitors and 130,000 visitors in attendance, more events and new produce to discover. Feel considering that the event hosted just free to consume with immoderation. 25 exhibitors ten years ago, when Rouen Conquérant decided to revive is entirely uncompromising.“Everyone are full of praise for this festival the “Fêtes du Ventre” held in the knows that I’m extremely strict about of gastronomy. “I took part in the 1930s, consisting largely at the time the Normandy origin and quality of all first one, ten years ago,” of eating competitions involving the produce,” says Myriam. And there remembers Sophie Douillet, one oysters, sausages, etc. The public are plenty of applicants! “I always of the event’s pioneers, who is came from all over France to feast and have to turn down lots of people,” adds delighted by it’s spectacular have fun. Nowadays, the Fête du the treasurer, “and as early as the growth, “which is thanks to the Ventre is intended to foster Rouen’s Sunday night when the festival has just organisers, who pick only small gastronomic image, the history of the ended, exhibitors often ask to register for Normandy producers rather than retailers,” she observes. “In the region, and to promote Normandy the next year to be sure of a place!” beginning, people came out of produce in the historic setting of the This year, on its tenth anniversary, the curiosity, but for the last four or “belly of Rouen”, all in a festive and Fête du Ventre is taking things even five years, they have come for the informal atmosphere. And when it further: a larger surface area, a greater number of exhibitors, even more love of good food and because comes to the authenticity of the they know they’ll find great produce on display, Myriam Bréelle, events, and a guinguette-style ball on Saturday evening as the climax of a produce here.” Including the treasurer of the association and famous Douillet ‘douillons’, a responsible for selecting the exhibitors, weekend during which, as always, straw bales and traditional Normandy traditional Normandy pastry made with oven-baked apples in a blouses and clogs will be very much semi-shortbread crust, or indeed in evidence. A delicious countryside the famous Rouen duck which flavour is set to once again fill the Cécile Boiteau, a festival streets of Rouen. participant for the last five years, offers either fresh or pre- Rouen Conquérant prepared in a jar. “It is much 00 33 2 35 98 18 36 more like a gastronomic festival than a market,” concludes the Douillons, producer who, to celebrate the ducks and fanfares event’s tenth anniversary in style, “A terrific atmosphere”, “A will be reviving a traditional festival we all look forward to!” recipe for duck terrine, Rouen Regular exhibitors Sophie pâté. Best served with fanfares Douillet, a producer from “La and trumpets. Mare aux Coqs” family fruit farm in Jumièges, and Cécile Boiteau, breeder of the famous Duclair duck in Anneville Ambourville,
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The Rouen Tourist Office magazine
Fine produce is akin to an obscure object of desire… the hands reach out to touch, the eyes dilate and observe, the nostrils twitch, smiles are exchanged. One person sells, the other buys, but both are passionate about and covet the same thing: quality produce. In this business of seduction, there are two ways to woo the fair maiden: the wholesale approach, where every kind of audacity is permitted, or retail selling, an intimate tête-à-tête which is altogether more personal. We investigate the joys of the marketplace. Love among the market stalls
WHOLESALE WITH A SMILE! A few stalls further along, we meet one of the market’s bviously, at Rouen’s MIN wholesale market, the oldest hands, Stéphane Allais, proprietor of “Au Gibier largest of its kind in north-west France, the gene- de France”, who has been operating in the market since O ral public are nowhere to be seen. The event is the it opened in 1969! Naturally, in the course of the last exclusive preserve of professionals who come here to forty years, the market has evolved, “especially since the stock up on fruit, vegetables and fish … combining arrival of the big supermarkets,” explains the master quality with wholesale prices. As early as 3.00 am, the poultryman. “Before that, I used to sell retail to customers market is in full swing. Surprisingly, despite the who came here. Nowadays, they have everything delive- ungodly hour, all the actors in this nocturnal scene seem red,whcih means I never get to see them!” Stéphane says clear-eyed and alert. with regret. He also talks about the introduction twenty None more so than Nadia Letot-Mauger, fresh and years ago of the sale of individual cuts. Since then, he bright, a passionate fishmonger who has been up since has been selling tons of duck and chicken legs cut on 1.30 am and who certainly knows her fish, their origin, site. season, anatomy. “I have to laugh sometimes when certain But if there is one thing which hasn’t changed, it is his customers know nothing about the subject,” admits Nadia, insistence on quality produce, as attested by his who has been manager of “La Pêcherie Rouennaise” “Prosper Montagné Club” label of certification, which since 2006. “Asking for 15 fillets of plaice when they come states that “Good meals require great produce”. That’s in fours…” Hmm. But Nadia loves her customers at the something we should all remember! market just as much as she loves her fish, and pampers them just as she did when she was a retailer in Caen. Even if, as she says herself, “It’s very different selling 6 kilos of sole at a time instead of a single fish!” When it comes to fruit and vegetables, Patrick Pépin, employed by the AZ group, knows his onions. For twenty-eight years now, he has been taking part in this early-morning ballet which sees dozens of carts criss- cross each other, loading and unloading hundreds of crates brimming over with finer and finer produce. Patrick never tires of it. But what he loves most of all is the rapport with the customers. “Everyone knows each other. There’s a real market atmosphere,” he says with delight.
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Love among the market stalls
Rouen’s MIN market
In 1959, the local authorities set up the Marché d’Intérêt National (MIN) in the centre of the city of Rouen, in the Place du Vieux- Marché. In 1969, the wholesale market moved to Avenue du Commandant-Bicheray (in the Saint-Gervais district). Since 2000, an ambitious plan for diversification and modernisation, led by Dominique Haug, director of the MIN, has sought to meet the needs of a consumer pool of more than two million residents. Freshness, accessibility, fun and interaction are the values which the MIN will seek to convey to the general public this year through a variety of events marking its fortieth anniversary on the current site. The Rouen MIN: in its forties and still looking great…
Total surface area: 20 hectares Number of businesses present on the site: 61 Number of local producers: 41 Number of jobs provided by the site: 810 Turnover in 2008: 257 000 000 euros Frequentation : between 8,500 and 10,000 vehicles each week
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A master at work
aster cheesemaker and asked to tell us about his wares. It’s a Fromagerie du Vieux-Marché maturer of the Brotherhood serious business being a “luxury 18, rue Rollon, Rouen M of Saint Uguzon. How’s that cheesemonger”. Hard cheeses above 00 33 2 35 71 11 00 for an impressive title! And hard all. “We taste a sample from the big cheese to anyone who enters the blocks, and we order them by the Normandy delightful fromagerie at 18 Rue year!” declares this lover of Beaufort on a platter Rollon and ends up a victim of Léon d’Alpage and L’Etivaz, a Swiss rarity For the “perfect” cheese platter, Déant’s wit. “Do you want your produced high in the mountains and at a budget of around forty Gruyère with or without holes?” he between May 10 and October 10 euros, Léon Déant suggests an jokes in a sing-song voice, knowing only. Soft cheeses too receive the assortment of six essential better than anyone that Emmenthal same care and attention, especially varieties giving a great taste of is the one with all the gaps. And he when it comes to maturing, in his the local region: a camembert, becomes even more animated when own cellars, a ripe Camembert or ripe-centred of course, a Pont any other unpasteurised cheese, l’Évêque, a Livarot, a Pavé which he adapts to suit individual d’Auge, as well as two creations tastes. A made-to-measure service for of his own: La Rincette, a cow’s customers whose individual milk cheese matured in cream of preferences he knows by heart, or Calvados, and La Pucelle, tourists keen to take a little piece of matured in apple liqueur. And to set the whole thing off, a nice Normandy back with them in their bottled cider or a lovely luggage. In either case, Léon Déant Calvados. The very essence of always thanks them with a friendly the good life Normandy-style. exclamation of “Perfect!”, which could very well be said of his own talents.
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Bread, pastries, love and chocolate
ombining passion and establishments, “Le Normandy” in whose base requires five days of inspiration can take, as Denis Deauville and Mont-Saint-Michel, preparation and eighteen hours of C Jullien knows, twenty-five where he produced large quantities infusion with sugared almonds… A years of preparation. In Mr Jullien’s of the famous Mère Poulard galettes. true work of art. case, his passion came to fruition In 1995, he settled in Rouen and for Excited by all the possibilities offered with his patisserie, which specialises twelve years focussed on fine by today’s ‘molecular’ pastry- in fine chocolate fare. First a tough breadmaking. Then, in 2007, making, this enthusiast admits apprenticeship with Dieppe approaching the dreaded forties, dreaming of perfection and of institution M. Ratel, then a couple Denis Jullien finally realised his inventing a new kind of texture… of distinguished Parisian dream, entering the world of luxury He hopes to devise nothing less than pastry-making and the confection of a new approach to desserts, perfectly little cakes simply bursting with illustrated by the astonishing phial flavour. Three vital requirements: the of lemon packing 40g of sharp finest ingredients (Valrhona flavour and giving quite a shock to chocolate, Echiré butter and cream), the tastebuds of a loyal lady technical perfection, and time. As customer in search of something illustrated by a bar of his crunchy new! We can’t wait to go back! Gianduja chocolate, which Denis Jullien advises should be eaten with Jullien Pâtissier Chocolatier the fingers, “It’s part of the pleasure,” 79 ter rue Verte, Rouen a blend of crispy smoothness and 00 33 2 35 71 57 45 subtle hazelnut flavour. Or his gorgeous charlotte cake with sugared almonds and pink grapefruit cream,
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Rooms with a country view
] If the urban areas of Rouen and its suburbs offer an never-ending source of wonder, the countryside is every bit as charming. Not so very far from the city centre, nine guest houses and hotels offer a haven of peace to visitors weary of city life. Fine properties, pretty gardens, and a warm welcome: the prefect trilogy which each of these venues puts across in its own way, and always with an elegance and generosity which is typical of Normandy.
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Villa la Gloriette At is as if the light has fallen in love with this late nineteenth-century red-brick house and is casting its tender regard over its garden and gazebo (or ‘gloriette’, hence the name), as romantic as anyone could wish. The elegant dining room is equally delightful, curling around the white curve of a bow window which also adds charm to the two suites on the upper floor, and juts out into the silence of the garden. Visitors will fall helplessly for the Bovary suite, which leads onto a terrace, the perfect place for a sunny breakfast, and which is equipped with a bath embellished with a salmon pink curtain. The marvellous harmony to be found here is hardly surprising: Mme Dupont, the lady of the house, is an artist and painter, and has brought all her talents to bear here. As for her husband, a talented gastronome, his impeccable culinary skills are sure to delight the gourmet guest.
Villa la Gloriette 7, rue des pleins champs 76000 Rouen 00 33 2 35 07 37 09 www.villalagloriette.com [email protected]
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Le jardin en douce At the end of a quiet avenue in the middle of Rouen, this Anglo-Norman style house, with its light green half-timbered walls, radiant with roses in the summer, is simply brims over with bucolic charm, on grounds stretching gently downhill from an orchard, and covering some 1700 m2, opposite Mont Fortin. An exterior stairway serves two attic rooms, both equally delightful, tastefully decorated in white, brown and pink tones, given added warmth by the natural wood and old parquet floors. Here and there, Françoise Lafont, formerly a manager with a design agency and now a hostess keen to share her love of interior design, has scattered a few objects picked up from the second-hand dealers on Place Saint-Marc. And for a very special treat, bathe under the stars, thanks to a vast skylight in the Juliette suite. Heavenly!
Le jardin en douce 3 C impasse Marcel Couchaux 76000 Rouen 00 33 2 77 76 04 51 / 00 33 6 68 53 84 30 www.lejardinendouce.com [email protected] 1 room for 2 people and 1 suite for 4 people. 74 3-DEVORER 2009 GB:Mise en page 1 04/06/09 16:31 Page20
Un jardin en ville Agnès Cerbelle had always dreamed of having a B&B that would offer guests a place of enjoyment and relaxation. This dream came true two years ago in her 1900 residence, well hidden behind its great entrance porch, and only revealing its charms upon a sudden turn into a mysterious alleyway. As soon as you enter, the surprise of a superb collection of African masks in the hall transports you to another realm, revealing its secrets in the bright rooms upstairs or in the outhouse surrounded by generous vegetation. Decked out in chocolate tones combined with delicate pearl, Nattier blue or relaxing apple green, the four rooms look out onto a large garden shaded with splendid purple lilac. Agnès receives her guests here like friends; devoting every attention to them.
Un jardin en ville 4, rue Malatiré 76000 Rouen 00 33 2 35 89 99 52 http://unjardinenville.fr [email protected] 2 rooms for 2 people, 1 outbuilding with 2 rooms for 4 people and its own fully equipped kitchen.
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Les Jonquets A former farm covering two hectares, a pond complete with ducks, a score of horses to complete the scene, and here you have an authentic piece of countryside just 10 minutes from Rouen. Odile and Denis Briquet, the lucky owners of the site, have for the last decade been offering a resolutely rural retreat in an entirely renovated Les Jonquets barn. With a charming dining room, 1074 rue des Jonquets a kitchen area and a most pleasant 76160 Saint Jacques sur Darnétal fireplace, the building offers a 00 33 2 35 23 56 79 www.jonquets.com bedroom on the ground floor with [email protected] terrace suitable for disabled 1 room for 2 people, with disabled access, 1 suite visitors, then on the upper floor, for 4 people, dining room and fully equipped accessible by way of an external kitchen area. staircase, a family suite which can accommodate up to four people. Keen on horse riding, Odile and Denis will be equally happy to accommodate our equestrian friends.
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Vignacourt Just a short hop from Rouen, there is a definite Riviera feel behind the tall gates of this fine Directoire-style residence, with its 9,000 m2 grounds, at the rear of which nestles an elegantly restored barn, complete with two fine palm trees, and housing three bedrooms of contrasting style, but each equally luxurious. A tennis court and heated swimming pool, with parasols and a beach-style shower, will carry you off to the delicious horizons which Alix d’Argentré, the hostess of this enchanting venue, has dreamt up in decidedly Mediterranean style. A fine breakfast prepared with local produce is offered in the bright dining room of the main house. A change of scenery is guaranteed here, somewhere between Normandy and the Côte d’Azur!
Vignacourt 2871, route de Neufchâtel 76230 Isneauville 00 33 6 22 27 77 20 www.vignacourt.com [email protected] 3 rooms each suitable for 2 people.
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Manoir de Captot An eighteenth-century manor house, extensive grounds, Roumare national forest park nearby, and all just 10 minutes from Rouen… What could be more perfect? An unforgettable night in the silence of the magnificent pink toile de Jouy room overlooking the grounds, followed by a delicious breakfast served in the great dining room by Michelle Desrez, the delightful hostess who is thoroughly attentive yet always unobtrusive. And let’s not forget the elegant horse track leading into the heart of the forest of hundred-year-old beech and oak trees, providing the perfect opportunity for a 45-minute stroll to the neighbouring village. Another pleasure available: a discreet whisper in the ears of the two horses roaming freely around the grounds. Just like our enthusiastic host: “Positively majestic”!
Manoir de Captot 42, route de Sahurs 76380 Canteleu 00 33 2 35 36 00 04 / 00 33 6 63 51 34 57 captot.com [email protected] 3 rooms each suitable for 2 people.
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Chambres avec vue The rooms here have all the grace of time regained, the charm of stolen moments. Everywhere, in wonderful abundance, are books, paintings, photos or objects full of the soul of the world. On all three floors of this 1900 townhouse located just a few steps from Rouen railway station, Dominique Gosny offers her guests a cocoon of comfort, a whiff of nostalgia, and not a television in sight! Three bedrooms, sober yet warm, offer a wonderful view over the city’s rooftops and majestic spire, and over a charming little enclosed garden resplendent with flowers. In summer, the dining room terrace is the venue for delicious breakfasts, sure to please every guest. In short, a venue much like the personality of the owner herself, warm-hearted and unobtrusive…
Chambres avec vue 22, rue Hénault 76130 Mont Saint Aignan 00 33 2 35 70 26 95 chambreavecvue.online.fr [email protected] 2 rooms for 2 people, 1 room for 4 people.
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Mercure Rouen Champ de Mars 3 star hotel
Even if this particular Champ de Mars, unlike its Parisian namesake, does not burst into bloom in springtime, it does offer an attractive setting for the 139 rooms of the Mercure hotel, located by the edge of the Seine, in the south-east of Rouen, and run by Monsieur Jean-Louis Hossin. Recently renovated, the rooms offer a minimalist setting, making use of pleasant chestnut shades for a relaxing feel. Room 617 deserves a special mention, with its large bay windows offering a generous view of the large esplanade fountain. There is a tranquil yet welcoming ambiance at the reception, the bar and in the “Le Honfleur” restaurant which notably offers “late-risers” on Saturday and Sunday mornings a generous buffet from 7.00 am to midday. The perfect preparation for an enjoyable visit to Clos Saint- Marc market, just around the corner, where a traditional atmosphere is guaranteed!
Mercure – Rouen – Champ de Mars 12, avenue Aristide Briand 76000 Rouen 00 33 2 35 52 42 32 www.mercure.com [email protected]
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Le Bellevue 2 Star hotel This charming hotel in La Bouille located between the cliffs and the edge of the Seine fully lives up to its name, which means “beautiful view” in French. Over three floors, this white nineteenth-century building and its 20 bright rooms indeed offer a splendid view of the river, its banks and its wheeling gulls, as well as a delightful glimpse of the pretty village and its chalky hillsides. Absolute calm reigns all around, something at which Christophe Batho, manager of Le Bellevue since late 2007, still marvels every day. Connoisseurs will love the traditional cuisine offered in a beautiful Normandy-style dining room, decorated in blues, greens and warm wood tones, or in the two separate salons on the upper floor, whose bay windows provide all the spectacle of the Seine. In summertime a meal on the terrace provides the crowning touch to a relaxing stay within a stone’s throw of the tranquil river.
Le Bellevue 13 Quai Hector Malot 76530 La Bouille 00 33 2 35 18 05 05 www.hotel-le-bellevue.com - [email protected] 81 3-DEVORER 2009 GB:Mise en page 1 04/06/09 16:32 Page27 3-DEVORER 2009 GB:Mise en page 1 04/06/09 16:32 Page28
Lunchacross the city...
Noon is approaching, and Rouen is preparing for its famous gastronomic symphony. No fewer than two hundred restaurants will orchestrate the joyous clatter of an army of knives and forks impatient to bring pleasure to famished palates. Let’s pay a quick visit to four of them, each with its own tempo, but all places of perfect harmony. Their chefs will certainly hit the right culinary notes every time… best enjoyed with a companion! Minute et Mijoté A duo on everyone’s lips. This brand new the venue, which has the establishment is a place full feel of a bistro but with of surprises. Its pleasant added intimacy. Beautifully bistro decor, which would done! As for the talent of lead one to expect more the chef, it is evident in casual fare, is filled as if by everything he does, as is his magic by the most use of simple produce charming aromas and elegantly transformed, such delicate textures. All the as his famous shoulder of signs of a great place! But lamb with cabbage, or his how do they do it? The sea bass and cod pie with a explanation is simple. The perfectly prepared tapenade. two men behind it are The icing on the cake, a manager Pierre Davoine daily set menu, and an and chef Frédéric François, overall bill of fare which is who both spent fifteen updated every month. A years at the helm of Le short distance from Place Restaurant Du Roy in du Vieux Marché, this is a Yvetot and L’Auberge de la place you are guaranteed to Varenne in Saint-Martin- adore. Osmonville. In late 2007, weary of the airs and graces Minute et Mijoté of upmarket establishments, 58, rue de Fontenelle the two friends opted for 00 33 2 32 08 40 00 the slower pace of a city- 30 place in the ground-floor centre bistro. But talent will dining room out: while the manager was 20 places in the first-floor delighted to have swapped salon his bowtie for a less formal 20 places on the terrace outfit, his service is no less Open Monday to Saturday for impeccable and accom- lunch and evening meals modating, in perfect keeping with the spirit of
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Lunchacross the city... 16/9 Every cloud…
Among the many the eye. The energetic and possibilities of Rouen original harmony of the lunches, 16/9 sparkles with strong colours is married a surprising and contem- with materials both rough porary light. Behind its and more refined, and the large glass shopfront, whole thing is bathed in a white-draped chairs, black jazzy/lounge soundtrack tables and crimson lights conducive to a quick in the shape of clouds have aperitif or digestif in an fpr three years been opportune salon. The food offering an amazing follows the same kind of geometric and chromatic template, enhanced with a backdrop which sits hint of the south, and is proudly next to the concocted by the chef charming and thoroughly Bruno Poret, adept at modern Place du 14-avril- reworking traditional 44, right beside Rouen dishes: pain perdu with parliament. After a wealth tomato and mozzarella, of brasserie experience, thick-cut fillets of fish Rodolphe Launay-Duval, straight from the market proprietor of the premises, and grilled to perfection, dreamed of a restaurant fresh tagliatelle, or sliced which would tear up the beef tartare, which is rule book of the perfection itself. For Normandy scene, pitching dessert, a carpaccio of it between somewhere pineapple and red fruit modern and friendly. And sorbet will leave the most here it is. Once the heavy demanding tastebuds charcoal grey entrance thoroughly satisfied. An curtain has been lifted, all-round success. everything is a delight to
16/9 30 rue Socrate 00 33 2 35 70 63 33 70 places 80 places on the terrace Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and evening meals
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she drapes in coconut La Marmite cream. Such combinations are the delight of the little blond-wood dining room, Unlike many of her cleverly decorated in a colleagues, Frédérique bright yellow which seems Feminine cuisine, Antoine did not fall into to add space while the cooking pot as a child! allowing the murmur of guaranteed to seduce Rather, it was cupid’s voices to remain intimate. arrow which led this chef, A further source of now a member of the pleasure, more rustic but distinguished Club des no less exquisite, are the Toques Rouennaises, to celebrated Andouille the stoves of this discreet parcels with apples and establishment, adjacent to cider cream. All the the Place du Vieux- pleasures of Normandy on Marché, where for twenty a single plate! And to set it years she has been offering all off, an excellent wine light, creative dishes, list adds to the joys of the served in style by her superb feast to be husband Jean-Luc. But experienced here. A nice Madame Antoine, a pot to fall into… women of passion, admits La Marmite to other loves, such as fine 3 rue Florence fish, like the wonderful 00 33 2 35 71 75 55 fillet of sea bass she 25 places delicately caresses with a Open from Tuesday evening to Sunday caramelised ginger sauce, lunchtime. Booking recommended. or the superb little scallops
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Lunchacross the city... Le Rouennais The ceremony of the duckling
Enter Le Rouennais, and you immediately find yourself among the soft and reassuring murmur of satisfied appetites. Then, as in a gourmet’s dream, you thrill to the inviting aromas of a bird roasting After twenty minutes on the spit. The spent at the hellfires of a anticipation grows… roasting spit manned by Next, like two ardent chef and master duckman priestesses, sisters Betty David Brochet, a Rouen- and Françoise Coudray - style wild duck finally respectively married to arrives on stage. Before brothers Pierre and Gérard being carved, the carcass is Coudray, Master Canardiers pressed and coated in a and masters of the house - rich sauce enriched with lead you into one of the the blood from the duck three hushed dining rooms and flambéed in cognac of this spacious establi- and port, under the shment located opposite enthralled gaze of the Corneille’s birthplace. guests. Great excitement And, as they have down all round. Photos, loud for twenty years, clap three applause. A cruel and times. Let the show begin! beautiful spectacle, like life itself. And for those who prefer fish, no need to panic. A tasty thick-cut salmon steak in a sesame crust with bourguignon sauce will be no less delicious.
Le Rouennais 5, rue de la Pie 00 33 2 35 07 55 44 90 dining room places 30 terrace places Open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and evening meals and Sunday lunchtime (also open Monday for groups)
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Exploring
“I don’t live in Rouen. I don’t work there and I really have no link with the place. But for me it’s the city. I’m going to go there secretly, and stroll through the streets and squares, > from Saint-Maclou to Vieux Marché, to revel in the joys of its present and the all-pervading charms of its past.” Rouen, Philippe Delerm.
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SEINE VALLEY - NORMANDY Let’s take a walk in the woods… Rouen might be thought of as a rocky outcrop which has always dreamed of reaching for the stars, with its audacious spire, its hundred towers and steeples, and the tops of its great trees rising up all around the city like a magic circle of some 9,500 hectares of greenery. Quick! While the wolf is away, let’s take a little walk through the heart of the region’s beautiful woodlands and admire their lofty dreams.
ow lovely to walk in the forest… What open since 1963, was threatened with closure due to lack curmudgeon, what spoilsport could resist the of funding and its users mobilised to demand that it be H simple pleasure of a stroll in the woods? Whatever maintained, the local authorities in Rouen decided to the season, here you can really breath, your heart is cover payment of the greater part of its operating costs. soothed, your soul replenished. It is a swift and vital In 2004: in partnership with the National Forests Office escape from the city and all its modernity. Whether and the Roumare Forest association, the local authorities alone or in company, a walker in the woods absorbs a undertook a vast programme of restoration and little of the energy and wisdom of his surroundings. extension of the park. In 2005: they launched a more So what a privilege it is for Rouen and its neighbours, a extensive forestry policy, covering all forest assets, and region of great urbanisation, to have some 9,500 introduced a charter seeking to improve public access hectares of forest, or almost a third of its surface area, (new pedestrian paths, signposting, development of across its rural landmass. Every year, almost three cycle access, highlighting of ecological heritage, etc.) and million visitors make use of the three national forest an enhanced awareness of the forest. parks: Forêt Verte, Roumare and Londe-Rouvray. And many more visit the smaller public woods such as An enchanted house. L’Archevêque, Le Roule, Le Chêne, Le Madrillet, etc. The community authority then decided to build three Geographically situated at a climatic crossroads, the ‘Maisons de la Forêt’ or forestry centres. Places of forest- locality’s forest heritage also provides great ecological related discovery and information which are open to diversity. Everything you could ask for, even big and all. The first one opened in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray enchanting animals, such as the wild boar and fallow (March 2008), to be followed by Darnétal and Notre- and roe deer of Roumare animal reserve, which delight Dame-de-Bondeville. The result: more delightful even some four hundred thousand visitors every year with than the house of Goldilocks and the three bears! Open their lively capers. the door and the spirit of the forest is there to embrace you. Tree trunks, branches, leaves, bird song. Outside of A forestry charter. course, but from indoors too, thanks to the large and The people of Rouen are therefore fans of their forests, welcoming bay windows. An enchanted house. As if you and want everyone to know about them. They see them were part of the forest yourself… And the hosts of this as ideal places for relaxation, leisure and education, woodland could not be more helpful. Attentive and hence their passion. Rouen’s local authorities have passionate about their subject, the team led by its leader responded in kind, with concern above all for the and coordinator, Mathieu Doni, is just as talented at beloved animals. In 2000: when Roumare forest park, presenting interesting themed exhibitions as answering >
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the queries of passing walkers who may pop in to ask about a variety of bird they have just heard singing or why some trees have been cut down. “This is a place of environmental education,” is how Mathieu Doni sums it up. It is also a love song to the forest. An exceptional forest heritage Forests represent a third of the surface area of the Rouen region, made up of three main national parks. To the north lies the Forêt Verte, covering 1,398 hectares, which has been state-owned since the Revolution. In a superb location, it contains magnificent glades of beech and 13 hectares of conifers dotted among the broad-leaved varieties. A very popular place for visitors, this forest offers both cycle and equestrian paths. To the south of Rouen, Londe-Rouvray forest “Trees of the forest, you know my soul! …. > covers 5,053 hectares, and includes broad-leafed trees, brushwood and conifers. Numerous cycle Contemplation fills my heart with love…. paths, equestrian and pedestrian routes make the When I find myself among you, the trees of these great woods, forest easy to explore, and significant tree Among all that surrounds me and conceals me too, restoration work has recently been undertaken in the northern section. In your solitude, where I return to myself, To the west are the 3,991 hectares of Roumare As if a great figure is listening to me, and loves me!” forest, largely made up of areas of conifer and old An extract from “To the Trees”, from the collection ‘Contemplations’, brushwood. Contrary to the Forêt Verte, oak by Victor Hugo plays a greater role here than beech. There are a number of facilities: footpaths, long-distance hiking trails, an animal reserve, and paths for cyclists, equestrians and pedestrians, as well Épinay lake. To the east of Rouen are the 55-hectare communal woods of Le Roule, home to a wide variety of tree species. A discovery trail highlighting its biodiversity has been constructed and guided tours are offered by the Upper Normandy Natural Sites Commission.
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Three centres at the service of the forest and its visitors Educate, take action, and share. These are the three objectives which the local authorities in Rouen have set for the three Forestry Centres for meetings and activities related to the forests and woods. The Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray centre, located in the heart of the urban forest of Le Madrillet, opened its doors on March 29, 2008. The Darnétal Forestry Centre, in the woods of Le Roule, is due to open in 2009. And in the Forêt Verte, in the communes of Notre- Dame-de-Bondeville and Mont-Saint-Aignan, the centre is scheduled to be complete in 2010. These Forestry Centres offer a wide range of activities: workshops, themed evenings, events, lectures, exhibitions…many of which are free of charge. A further delight of these venues: their astonishingly beautiful architecture, designed to meet all the requirements of High Environmental Quality construction. Integration into their surroundings, recuperation and use of rain water, wood-fired boilers, user comfort: eco-friendly visitors will appreciate all these elements included as standard. Not forgetting the opportunity to touch as much wood as anyone could want… What luck!
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For Cardere, education is the key Ecological trainee at Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray Forest Centre during the school holidays: an enticing prospect for young people aged between 8 and 12 years old who are keen on nature and its preservation. This eco-course, lasting four half-days and covering key environmental themes (waste, energy, biodiversity, water) is one of the many initiatives offered by the Cardere association, founded in 1993 with the aim of developing environmental education and working in partnership to raise awareness among the eco- citizens of today and tomorrow. “Educating them, of course, but above all influencing their actual activities, showing them how to behave in a way which is respectful of nature,” stresses Grégory Everaert, a trained geographer, employee of the association, and organiser of the training course. And it is clear that the dozen children present at the course have taken plenty of lessons home with them: “I showed my mum a better way to sort out waste,” Quentin says proudly. “And I’m going to explain to all my friends that it’s cruel to kill little woodland insects by putting them in boxes just for fun!” promises Zoé. Astrid, for her part, has learned the simple but important lesson that “biodiversity means nature!" The work of Cardere in the Forest Centre is without doubt a great investment in all our futures.
Association CARDERE (Centre de l’Agglomération Rouennaise pour le Développement de l’Education Relative à l’Environnement ) 55, rue Louis Ricard – Rouen Tel.: 00 33 2 35 07 44 54
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SEINE VALLEY - NORMANDY Rouen, Seine valley, 1944-2009 : Remembering heroes
This year, Normandy celebrates the 65th anniversary of the Allied landings, an opportunity for the Rouen region, severely affected by the Second World War, to reflect on its memorial sites. We set off on a walk of remembrance. Lest we forget.
ince Victor Hugo, Rouen has been known as the “city of a hundred clocktowers”, but the S description of it as the “martyr city” is just as appropriate. Four years of German occupation had a profound and devastating effect on the collective memory of the people of Rouen and the fabric of their town. Thousands of dead and injured, entire districts wiped from the map, and huge damage to architectural heritage and infrastructure. Such was the terrible legacy of the waves of bombardment, mostly from Allied aircraft seeking to thwart the German advance: a tragic irony of Rouen history. Today, visitors cannot fail to marvel at the graceful appearance of Rouen’s streets, all the more moving when one considers their fragility and the price paid by those who sought to defend them. In Rouen, the past is very much with us. And always should be… This duty of remembrance is naturally encouraged by Guy Pessiot, deputy mayor of Rouen responsible in particular for tourism and heritage, president of Rouen Seine Valley Normandy tourist office and a member of the Rouen academy of arts and sciences. He is also the author of more than a dozen books on the history of the Rouen area. Why is remembrance important? Guy Pessiot answers this fundamental question with the famous words of the American philosopher George Santayana: “Those who forget the past are condemned to relive it,” adding that: “Memory is therefore vital. Today, sixty-five years after the Liberation, the experience itself is becoming blurred. Historical monuments remain as a direct connection to this memory. It is important to identify locations in a geographical space which bear witness to this painful past. Anniversaries represent an opportunity to remember. Because > 95 pg g
if we are not made aware, unfortunately we forget!” argues Guy Pessiot. “The war changed Rouen and its surrounding area for ever,” he continues. “Exploring those things which almost disappeared, and those which were altered, is one way of looking at the urban landscape. The route we follow gives meaning and substance to the locations we visit.” This approach is just as important for local residents as for tourists. After all, as the local history enthusiast concludes: “Knowing one’s past means becoming part of the social fabric, and therefore respecting one’s place of residence.” With this in mind, what could be better than to set off to discover these war memorial sites. Commemorative plaques, ruins and cemeteries, as well as street names and scarred monuments, many still visible: these glimpses of a painful past are precious for a true understanding of the area, a challenging yet genuinely rewarding experience.
Photo Petit Normand
Two gardeners cultivating memories at Saint-Sever cemetery. White headstones in the early morning mist, a suitcase placed on the ground, and an Englishman looking for a dead friend or companion… A vision which has haunted Daniel Crevel, head gardener for the last thirty years of the British section in Saint-Sever military cemetery in Petit-Quevilly, and which he refers to with emotion. His ‘garden’ is made up of some five hectares of land covered with 8,682 headstones in memory of the members of the Commonwealth Forces who died in the course of two world wars. His job involves overseeing a team of six gardeners, all employed, as he is, by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, responsible for the upkeep of the three hectares of lawns, one hectare surrounding the graves, and for maintaining the many trees and shrubs, in order to meet the standards of appearance which the Commission has maintained since its creation in 1917, as an illustration that the sacrifice of those laid to rest in such cemeteries has not been forgotten. While the site is fascinating and austerely beautiful, it is easy to lose oneself in the grounds, even if the Commission now provides online information concerning the location of deceased soldiers. “Some people will search for an hour before asking us to help them find the right headstone,” says Christophe Bigot, a gardener at Saint-Sever since 1995. “Others ask us to take their photos in front of them. Someone even wanted to be buried here!” At the rear of the cemetery, a large commemorative building houses a book which each visitor is invited to sign in witness of their visit. In it, we discover that three hundred and twenty-eight English, Canadian, Australian and New-Zealand soldiers, all killed during the Second World War, rest in peace here. 96 pg g
SEINE VALLEY - NORMANDY “Those who forget the past are condemned to relive it,”
So many bombs, so many tears… June 9, 1940: German troops enter Rouen. The French army has blown up bridges to hinder access to the left bank, but has been unable to prevent occupation of the city. Fighting breaks A Franco-English reunion after out. Fire spreads from south of the cathedral to sixty-five years the Seine. The Germans refuse to allow the fire “Christina, Alfred’s daughter.” Gustave brigade to intervene. Only the following day, when Tocqueville, 82 years old, a former the cathedral is threatened, are firemen fishmonger in his family’s well-known and authorised to proceed. The result is that fifteen generation-spanning shop on Rue du Gros- hectares in the heart of Rouen are annihilated and Horloge, had often heard the name. In five thousand people left homeless. August 1944 he was 17, living in Mont- For the next four years, Rouen residents suffer the Saint-Aignan, and had a good command of Nazi terror: arrests, torture, executions, English. His parents were on friendly deportations, severe shortages. And Allied terms with an English soldier, Alfred bombings too. The Rouen area, situated at the Woodley, the 37-year-old driver for a crossroads of sea, river and rail routes, represents surgeon at the city hospital. Alfred was a strategic location for the occupying forces, and invited to eat with the family every day for its infrastructure must therefore be destroyed. four months, and Gustave would act as The night of April 19, 1944 was particularly interpreter. Close bonds were formed, horrific. For almost an hour, British bomber maintained by continuous correspondence planes pounded the region. In the morning, the between the two families until the death of centre of Sotteville had disappeared and more Alfred and his wife. In February 2009, than ten fires had reduced three quarters of Rouen while visiting Rouen, Christina had an to ashes, leaving nine hundred dead and twenty emotional meeting with Gustave, whose thousand affected. A month and a half later, name she too had often heard… A perfect between May 30 and June 4, came the famous and example of the power of friendship bloody Semaine Rouge (Red Week) which between different nations. witnessed four hundred bombs, one thousand five hundred fatalities, and forty thousand people affected by the destruction. The Cathedral was damaged, as were Saint-Maclou and the Palais de Justice, and a large part of the left bank was destroyed. On August 30, 1944, the Canadians liberated Rouen. The city was a wasteland of ruins, and it would take twenty years for it to be completely rebuilt. 97 pg g
98 pg g Creature comforts in Roumare Children growing up in the Rouen area have lots going for them. Not only do they have access to a city of art and history with a remarkable heritage, but they also get to enjoy exceptional forests too, full of wonderful creatures in their natural environment. We pay a visit to Roumare animal park.
“It’s sooo cute!” It is, of course, the winning blink of a little fawn, right up by the protective fence, which elicits such a delighted reaction, full of childlike glee, from the onlookers. And the story of this animal reserve, set up forty-three years ago by the French National Forest Office, is an equally charming tale. One day in 1963, walkers found a fawn which appeared to be abandoned and took it to a forester, who bottle-fed it up and called it Fanny. When he retired in 1966, he could no longer look after the doe. The Forest Office then decided to place Fanny in an enclosure, and the animal park was born. Gradually, it came to house more and more animals, and visitor numbers grew and grew in response. Today, the park, to which admission is free and which is funded by Rouen’s local authorities, covers some 26 hectares. It has twelve wild boar, fourteen stags and does, twenty-one fallow deer and ten roe. “Look Mum, there’s one over there!” “Did you see it Dad?” “Oh, look dear, they’re kissing!” Everyone, large and small, marvels at the heart- warming spectacle of these contented and protected animals, each species in its own enclosure. Bordered by three tarmacadam paths accessible to persons of reduced mobility as well as to mountain bikes, rollerblades, etc., the park is also the perfect place for a relaxing and educational walk lasting around an hour. Viewing points, interactive panels, tables and benches, everything has been provided for a family outing in a natural environment, even donkey rides!
Animal Park Roumare Public Forest. Free entry all year round. Canteleu, Val-de-la-Haye
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Start your engines!
If your child does not like skills and self-discipline. Ten dreams of victory in their heads walking, cycling or horse-riding, minute sessions take place in a and scorecards in their pockets. tell him where to go… to 200 cm3 kart, and involve Normandie Karting! Any child - acceleration, braking, and Normandie Karting as long as they are at least eleven dipping the head like a champion Avenue de Quenneport years old and at least 1.45 metres to assist trajectory, on a covered Val de la Haye tall - will love this mechanical 400-metre circuit, and all this 00 33 2 35 34 98 16 sport which combines thrills, just ten minutes from Rouen. www.normandie-karting.fr Wow! “This is Normandy’s longest track,” says Olivier Hucher, manager of the site and karting vice-champion of Normandy in 1992, and it is, of course, approved by the French federation of automobile sports. In terms of performance, an electronic stopwatch records speed, number of laps, and duration. And best of all, budding pilots will leave with
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ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN THE ROUEN WONDERLAND
Alice has grown up and travelled widely. Behind her happy smile, the young woman remained eternally nostalgic for her Wonderland, and dreamed of returning there one day. But every On one side of the new place she visited brought new disappointment. Until one madly happy day in Rouen, where the eternal dream became reality. looking-glass… Rouen is, after all, still a place of dreams… This time, Alice did not have to follow a mysterious white rabbit to find her wonderland. The adventuress simply allowed herself to be seduced by the enchanting lights seen from a cruise along the Seine. And when day dawned once again, it all came back to her. A whole life of dreams lived in one day, and all her friends rediscovered! The only explanation is the magic worked by that strange astronomical clock…
7.00 am: A RUDE AWAKENING The Industrial and Port Area GRAND COURONNE
9.00 am: LONG LIVE BIKES! Espace Conseil mobilité énergie 7, bis rue Jeanne d’Arc ROUEN 00 33 2 35 52 93 52
10.00 am: THE KEY TO WONDERLAND! Musée de la Ferronnerie (Ironwork Museum) Rue Jacques-Villon ROUEN 00 33 2 35 88 42 92
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10h45: DRINK ME! Caves Jeanne-d’Arc 31, rue Jeanne d’Arc ROUEN 00 33 2 35 71 28 92 10.15 am: THESE FRIENDS ARE NOT WOODEN... Faïences Saint-Romain 56, rue Saint Romain ROUEN 00 33 2 35 07 12 30
11.00 pm: FLOWERS DEEP IN THOUGHT Fleurs en Seine 13 rue de Bas SAHURS 00 33 2 35 23 56 33
11.30 am: ALICE AND THE TIGERS 10.30 pm: A PICTUREBOOK AT LAST Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle (Natural Librairie Bertran History Museum) 110, rue Molière ROUEN 198 rue Beauvoisine ROUEN 00 33 2 35 70 79 96 00 33 2 35 71 41 50
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12.30 pm: ALICE CELEBRATES HER UNBIRTHDAY Le Dominion 12, rue Belvédère MONT-SAINT-AIGNAN 00 33 2 35 71 61 06
12.00 noon: THE LOBSTER QUADRILLE La Marée Dieppoise 100, route de Paris LE MESNIL-ESNARD 00 33 2 35 80 04 37
14.30 pm: GOLF CLUBS DISGUISED AS PINK FLAMINGOS... 15h15: ALICE AND THE TWINS, THE PERFECT TRIO! Golf de Rouen Mont Saint Aignan Woupi Rue Francis Poulenc MONT SAINT AIGNAN 3, rue Paul Lombard prolongée LE GRAND QUEVILLY 00 33 2 35 76 38 65 00 33 2 35 62 90 50
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, 16.00 pm: A GUIDED TOUR, AND THEN IT S TIME FOR TEA But where is the famous Mad Hatter condemned to drink tea for eternity? Manoir de Villers 30, route de Sahurs SAINT-PIERRE-DE-MANNEVILLE 00 33 2 35 32 07 02
17.00 pm: ALICE LETS OFF STEAM Zein Hammam Quai de Boisguilbert Hangar 1 ROUEN 00 33 2 35 88 07 07
, 18.00 pm: ALICE S SECRET... Clair de Lune 32, rue Ganterie ROUEN 00 33 2 35 07 01 07
17.30 pm: ALICE AND THE MAGIC POTIONS 18.30 pm: DRESSING LIKE A PRINCESS Parfumerie Douglas Printemps 68, rue Gros Horloge ROUEN 4, rue Gros Horloge ROUEN 00 33 2 32 76 79 95 00 33 2 32 76 32 32
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The other side of the looking-glass...
At night in Rouen, the paths are not all grey, and the 19.00: Tortuous cats all smile! With feline curiosity, the young woman streets and plunges delightedly into the mysterious and tempting tortoise shell shadows of the wee small hours. Just watch out for tom- cobbles... cats on the prowl…
20.30 pm: ALICE AT HER ZENITH Zénith de l’Agglo de Rouen 44, avenue des Canadiens GRAND QUEVILLY 00 33 2 32 91 92 92
19.30 pm: ALICE LEAVES HER RESERVE BEHIND La Réserve 57, place du Vieux Marché ROUEN 00 33 2 35 70 25 22
22.30 pm: ALICE REUNITED WITH THE MAD HATTER! HE CLEARLY LIKES HIS STRAW BOATER! La Vicomté 70, rue de la Vicomté ROUEN 00 33 2 35 71 24 11
, 2.00: ALICE S DANCING DREAM THE PERFECT FACE, THE PERFECT TIME. Le Kiosque ALICE HAS FINALLY FOUND HER NEW 43 c, Bld de Verdun ROUEN WONDERLAND… 00 33 2 35 88 54 50
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2009/2010 Diary of events SEINE VALLEY - NORMANDY
Rouen has always been a city where theatre and spectacle play a major role in the entertainment on offer. The city has first class opera, music, dance and theatre while the Zénith concert hall puts on a programme of the very best in French and International artists.
- “Impressionist nights”: Rouen Skating Rink MAY 2009 Summer Sound and light OCTOBER 2009 - 71th edition of Local - Rouen 24 hours show in Rouen: - Autumn in Normandy Artists’ Fair Halle aux monocoque speedboat projection on the Cultural Festival Toiles, Rouen race on the river (1er to Cathedral and the Fine Theatre, dance, music 3/05) Arts Museum (at night, (20/10-20/11) MARCH 2010 - 22nd Edition of Circus 26/06-20/09) - 10th anniversary of the - Normandy Creative Arts – Grand-Quevilly Norman Fine Food Workshop (12 to 28/05) Gourmet Festival – Rue JULY 2009 Halle aux Toiles - Exhibition: “Picturesque Rollon, Rouen (17-18/10) - « Rouen on Sea » - National event: the Normandy” Fine Arts - Rouen Annual Fun Fair summer festival on the Spring of Poets Museum (16/05 to 16/08) ‘Fête St Romain’ – South South Bank lower quay, - Trans-European - National event: the Bank quaysides (mid Rouen Cultural Festival Night of Museums October-mid November) - French National Francophonie (16/05) Holiday and fireworks - Rouen International Fair - Seeds and Gardens - « Les terrasses du NOVEMBER 2009 festival Rouen Exhibition Centre Jeudi » (outdoor - Exhibition “Geneviève (30 - 31/05) - 23rd Edition of the Concerts on Thursdays Asse” Fine Arts Museum, 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23 and Rouen Nordic Film Rouen (26/11/09- Festival JUNY 2009 30th of July) 28/02/2010) - National event: Rendez- APRIL 2010 vous au jardin, “Let’s AUGUST 2009 DECEMBER 2009 - Rouen Sping meet at the garden” (05- - « Les Musicales de - Children’s Book Festival (free entrance in 07/06) Normandie » Classical South Bank lower quay, Museums, “J’entends des - Rouen Spring: Music Festival, Concerts Rouen (04-06/12) Joan of Voix” choir festival, Joan in religious buildings, Arc festival (06-07/06) - Rouen Givrée (frosty of Arc festivities) Rouen - National Music day Rouen): christmas (April/June) (21/06) festivities (27/11/2009- 03/01/2010) - Salon du patrimoine - ArchéoJazz festival SEPTEMBER 2009 et du Livre Ancien Blainville Crevon Abbey Church of St Ouen - International Organ - Rouen Book Fair Music Festival Abbey JANUARY 2010 Halle aux Toiles Church of St Ouen - European ice hokey (24 - 26/06) JUNY 2010 - Rouen autumn bric à - Cinema from the South - Viva Cité, 20th edition - 1st international festival brac and flea market Festival: African Film of the international “Normandie Rouen Exhibition Centre Festival street arts festival Impressionniste” (11-13/09) - Winter Bric à Brac and Sotteville-Lès-Rouen, from June, 4th to flea market: bois de la Garenne - National Event: National September 2010 (du 26 - 28/06) Heritage Days (19 - 20/09) Rouen Exhibition Centre - National Event: Cinema - Books on the Quayside, Day Rouen - Comics Festival, FEBRUARY 2010 Darnétal Darnétal - French national (25 - 27/09) synchronised skating cup
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